William Blake and the Idea of Poetic Vision*

And they conversed together in Visionary forms dramatic which bright

Redounded from their Tongues in thunderous majesty, in Visions

In new Expanses, creating exemplars of Memory and of Intellect

Creating Space, Creating Time according to the wonders Divine

Of Human Imagination, throughout all the Three Regions immense

Of Childhood, Manhood & Old Age; & the all tremendous infathomable Non Ens

Of Death was seen in regenerations terrific or complacent varying

According to the subject of discourse & every Word & Every Character

Was Human according to the Expansion or Contraction, the Translucence or

Opakeness of Nervous fibres such was the variation of Time & Space

Which vary according as the Organs of Perception vary & they walked

To & fro in Eternity as One Man reflecting each in each & clearly seen

And seeing: according to fitness & order. -William Blake, Jerusalem, plate

98 * Univ. of Washington Lecture by Leroy Searle, 2007

Visionary Forms

Redounded from their tongues

Exemplars of Memory

Exemplars of Intellect

The Divine wonders of Human Imagination

Every Word & Every Character Was Human

Time & Space . . .vary according as the Organs of Perception vary

They walked/To & Fro in Eternity as One Man

Reflecting each in each & clearly seen and Seeing

According to fitness and order

Seeing Through not With the Eye

What it will be Questioned: When the Sun rises do you not see a round Disk of fire somewhat like a Guinea?

O no no! I see an Innumerable company of the Heavenly host

crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty.

I question not my Corporeal or Vegetative Eye any more than I would question a Window concerning a Sight. I look thro it & not with it.

(565-66. Punctuation added)

To see a World in a Grain of SandAnd a Heaven in a Wild FlowerHold Infinity in the palm of your handAnd Eternity in an hour From Auguries of Innocence, p. 490

Now I a fourfold vision seeAnd a fourfold vision is given to me Tis fourfold in my supreme delight And three fold in soft Beulahs night And twofold Always. May God us keep From Single vision & Newtons sleep –

Letter to Thomas Butts, 11-22-1802, p. 722

The Two Contrary States of the Human Soul

Title Page: Songs of Innocence and of Experience (copy z) Frontispiece to Innocence (copy z)

Introduction & The LambThe Lamb

ExperienceInnocence Experience

Experience• Intro to Experience Earth’s Answer

• Innocence • Experience

Vision (3 terms)Speaker in Innocence Speaker in Experience

What State is the Reader IN?

Reader sees I & E, and can recognize that BOTH are real, Neither is REALITY.The error in innocence is exactly complementaryto the error in experience: each thinks their view ISREALITY.

Vision 4 terms• As FELT (1) As FELT (2)

• AS READ/ SEEN (3)

• Critique Critique

• New State: the need for a POEM (4)

Things are (will be)

OK (if I’m Good)

Things SUCK,And it is

Somebody’sFAULT

Innocentvision

ContainsIts own

defeat & will generateIts contrary

The vision ofExperience Will poison

Its own World.

The reader canSee all this: there

Is NO choice Between

Innocence andExperience:

NEW CREATION

Visionary formsDramatic