Reading William Blake

Abstract

William Blake's illuminated poems challenge their readers to participate fully in a highly interactive process of reading. The complex interaction of their verbal and visual texts forces the involved reader to assume greater responsibility than usual for formulating meaning. This book examines some of the ways in which Blake's illuminated poems subvert the customary authority of texts and force readers to reassess both their expectations about reading and their customary responses to words and visual images alike. Keywords epic John Milton poem William Blake Table of contents (6 chapters) Introduction: Reading Blake’s Texts Pages 1-35 Songs of Innocence and of Experience Pages 36-72 Three Early Illuminated Works Pages 73-100 Lambeth Prophecies I: History of the World Pages 101-124 Lambeth Prophecies II: History of the Universe Pages 125-151 Epic Art: Milton and Jerusalem Pages 152-173