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book1804-1810

Milton

Disciplines:
poetry

Summary

Blake's prophetic poem in which the spirit of John Milton descends from heaven to correct his errors — particularly his association of Reason with God — and enters Blake's foot.

Core Contribution

Milton's cosmic return: Blake's Milton descends to annihilate his 'Selfhood' (the error of mistaking Reason for God) and unite with his female emanation Ololon. The concept of Selfhood annihilation: the spiritual work of surrendering ego-identity as the precondition for creative freedom. Los and the building of Golgonooza: Blake's mythological framework for the creative imagination. 'And did those feet in ancient time' — the preface became the hymn 'Jerusalem,' the unofficial national anthem of England.

Key Spikes & Highlights

  • The preface ('And did those feet in ancient time') was set to music by Hubert Parry in 1916 and became 'Jerusalem' — England's unofficial anthem, sung at the Last Night of the Proms and Women's Institute meetings, completely detached from its context.

Historical Influences

John Milton The Bible

Intellectual Lineage

English Romanticism Prophetic Tradition

Allied Works

Jerusalem The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Songs of Innocence and Experience

Contemporaries & Peers

Jerusalem Songs of Innocence and Experience

Minds Influenced

English Literature

Intellectual Posterity

English Literature The Hymn Jerusalem

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Milton

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