William Blake, Jerusalem: the Emanation of the Great Albion

David Punter (University of Bristol)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.06: English Writing and Culture of the Romantic Period, 1789-1837.
Vol. editors: Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Daniel Robinson (Widener University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1804 - 1820

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poetry (any)

Resources

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Blake was engaged on the epic poem called

Jerusalem, the Emanation of the Giant Albion

from 1804 to 1820. Although the form we have of the poem may appear to be final – in a sense in which

Vala, or, The Four Zoas

never achieved finality – one may nevertheless question in what sense such a poem can ever be 'complete'. This is because Blake here, as often elsewhere, appears to be engaged on several different enterprises at once, and we may discern four levels to the poem.

At the first level, he is concerned to construct a myth within which the central players are the 'giant forms' known as Albion and Jerusalem. We may figure the relations between these 'characters' in various different ways. Jerusalem, for example, may be considered to be the ideal form of Albion: in other words, Albion

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674 words

Citation: Punter, David. "Jerusalem: the Emanation of the Great Albion". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 July 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4309, accessed 18 April 2024.]

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