The continental prophecies
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
The continental prophecies
（Blake's illuminated books, v. 4）（Princeton paperbacks）
The William Blake Trust/Princeton University Press, 1998, c1995
- : pbk
Available at 5 libraries
Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 355-367)
Contents of Works
- America : a prophecy
- Europe : a prophecy
- The song of Los
Description and Table of Contents
Description
The last volumes in the series of "William Blake's Illuminated Books" reveal the writer and artist as a prophet driven by a sense of apocalyptic urgency. Blake conceived and executed "The Continental Prophecies" and "The Urizen Books" in the early 1790s, capturing the intellectual and spiritual turmoil of the American and French revolutions. Here, for the first time, the general reader will encounter Blake's most intense vision in reproductions that do justice to the originals, accompanied by texts, comprehensive notes and commentaries, and detailed interpretations of the designs. "The Continental Prophecies", which comprises "America", "Europe", and "The Song of Los", presents Blake's critical reckoning with the history of his own times. Marked by a particularly close integration of word and image, the books form a mythical plot from historical events and criticize the intricate structure of social oppression that the author attributes to organized state religion. Each of the three books attempts to point a way toward the process of millennial liberation.
These volumes complete the six-part series of "William Blake's Illuminated Books", including "Jerusalem", "Songs of Innocence and of Experience" (now available in paperback), "The Early Illuminated Books", and "Milton, A Poem", all published by Princeton University Press.
Table of Contents
PREFACE by David Bindman, General Editor 6 FOREWORD 7 A NOTE ON CITATIONS, ABBREVIATIONS, TEXTS AND VARIANTS 8 THE CONTINENTAL PROPHECIES 11 AMERICA: A PROPHECY Introduction Themes and Contexts 27 The Designs 42 Plates, Printings, and Colouring 73 Text and Reproduction 81 Supplementary Illustrations 116 Notes to Blake's Text 127 EUROPE: A PROPHECY Introduction Themes and Contexts 141 The Designs 161 Plates, Printings, and Coloring 210 Text and Reproduction 217 Supplementary Illustrations 250 Notes to Blake's Text 266 THE SONG OF LOS Introduction Themes and Contexts 287 The Designs 302 Plates, Printing, and Colouring 319 Text and Reproduction 325 Supplementary Illustrations 340 Notes to Blake's Text 347 WORKS CITED355
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