domenica 8 maggio 2011

WILLIAM BLAKE'S "AND DID THOSE FEET": On the historical vicissitudes of mysticism- multimedia wonderings



It is a really strange journey from the secluded isolation of William Blake’s later years to the world light of a 2 billion watchers royal wedding. His Jerusalem hymn’s beauty goes (is moved) from revolt to total affirmation of what exists and holds power. Is this all? 
G.C.



[the 'myriads of eternity' chapter, and throughout; in this more than 900 pages long great classic of social history, reclaiming the pre-history of the English working class,  William Blake's presence is pervasive, enlightening, heartening]




[And did those feet in ancient time.
Walk upon England's mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On England's pleasant pastures seen!

And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In England's green and pleasant Land-

______________________________


Would to God that all the Lords people were Prophets        Numbers, XI.ch ]







["I wish I had Jerusalem sung at my wedding in Canada. It would of sounded quite stupid but we are Anglicans, my husband was British, we planning to move to England and we had just come back from Jerusalem proper.. Lovely, and one of the few reasons I would want to be royal."









http://libgen.info/view.php?id=460691 [E.P.Thompson, "The Making of the English Working Class" 1966]


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