Eternity's Sunrise

On Saturday 19th November, our much loved tutor, Peter Brennan, returned for a further day on the 'transcendent art' of poetry. This time, we focussed on the work of the visionary artist and poet William Blake. Peter had prepared for each of us an inspiring selection of Blake's poems, letters and art works and it proved particularly fruitful to be able to draw upon both visual and poetic imagery.

We started with an introduction to Blakes ideas, names and images for The Four Zoas, which Peter connected to the four living creatures of Ezekial's vision... an important Biblical source text for Kabbalah. It was affirming for the women amongst us to hear that Blake also had female aspects for each of the Zoas. Peter related the Lion to 'Tharmas' (male ) and 'Enion' (female) and the energies of instinct, strength and resolution. The Ox he related to 'Urizen' and 'Ahania' and the energies of boundaries, reason and what Blake called 'mind forg'd manacles'. The Man was related to 'Luvah (or Orc)' and 'Vala' and the energies of love, passion and emotion and finally the Eagle Peter related to 'Urthona (or Los)' and 'Enitharmon' or the energies of imagination and and inspiration.

Throughout both the poems and images we explored, we repeatedly met these great archetypal powers and felt how they must have played through Blake himself as he struggled to express his prophetic visions in a time and culture that did not recognise or support him. We discovered in his work a great courage...no idea or safe establishment (including the rules of punctuation!) remains unchallenged. As a priest, I especially enjoyed Blake's 'Proverbs of Hell' and his critique of the Church in 'The Little Vagabond' for example, which seems just as pertinent today

Dear Mother, dear Mother, The Church is cold
But the Alehouse is healthy & pleasant & warm;
Besides I can tell where I am used well, Such usage in heaven will never do well.


and Blake's calling into question easy, selfish ideas of being merciful and good (and highlighting our own participation in creating the suffering of others) in 'The Human Abstract'...

Pity would be no more,
If we did not make somebody Poor;
And Mercy no more could be,
If all were as happy as we;


In selections from 'The Book of Urizen' and 'The Four Zoas' we were all stirred by the power of Blake's poetry and the vivid images it evokes. So to conclude, here is a tiny taste from Night the Ninth (for all those who have ever found themselves enduring sleepless nights!)

And men are bound to sullen contemplations in the night
Restless they turn on beds of sorrow, in their inmost brain
Feeling the crushing wheels they rise they write the bitter words
Of Stern Philosophy & knead the bread of knowledge with tears & groans