, in the form in which we have it today, is merely the first book of a projected seven; whether Blake ever wrote the other six books we have no means of knowing, but at all events none of the poem was ever printed. The first book exists as a page-proof; it is possible that its proximity to current affairs made it too risky a venture for publication. At all events, the radical bookseller Joseph Johnson, who was responsible for the printing in 1791, never went through with the publication. It deals with early events of the Revolution, and does not hesitate to name names, although sometimes Blake's version of events is historically inaccurate; the main thrust of the fragment we have is to call attention to the arrogance of the aristocracy, but the language in which the…
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Citation: Punter, David. "The French Revolution". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 July 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=794, accessed 21 November 2024.]
