‘Jerusalem: The Emanation of The Giant Albion’ - William Blake

On William Blakes 254^th birthday, it seemed appropriate to send out a bit of his poetry. So today’s Green Thought are lines 4 – 21 from  ‘Jerusalem: The Emanation of The Giant Albion’  by the 18^th century poet and visionary William Blake. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blake#Bibliography

 

In every Nation of the Earth till the twelve sons of Albion                     

Enrooted into every Nation: a mighty polypus growing                               

From Albion over the whole Earth: such is my awful Vision                               

I see the Four-fold man, The Humanity in Deadly sleep                                 

And its fallen Emanation, The Spectre and its cruel Shadow.                            

I see the Past, Present and Future existing all at once                              

Before me. O Divine Spirit, sustain me on thy wings,                                   

That I may awake Albion from his long and cold repose;                               

For Bacon and Newton, sheath’d in dismal steel, their terrors hang             

Like iron scourges over Albion: Reasonings like vast Serpents                   

Infold around my limbs, bruising my minute articulations.                                  

I turn my eyes to the Schools and Universities of Europe                             

And there behold the Loom of Locke, whose Woof rages dire,                

Wash’d by the Water-wheels of Newton; black the cloth                                  

In heavy wreaths folds over every nation: cruel Works                                     

Of many wheels I view, wheel without wheel, with cogs tyrannic              

Moving by compulsion each other, not as those in Eden, which                

Wheel within Wheel, in freedom revolve in harmony and peace.

 

Jerusalem, subtitled The Emanation of the Giant Albion, was the last, longest, and greatest in scope of the prophetic books written and illustrated by the poet, artist, and engraver William Blake.

Confusingly, the lyric to Blake's famous hymn, Jerusalem, is not connected to this poem. It is in fact the preface from another of his "prophetic books", Milton: a Poem.