Re: wisdom again
jason varsoke (jjv@caesun.msd.ray.com)
Thu, 03 Jun 1999 09:28:23 -0400 (EDT)
On Wed, 2 Jun 1999, James J Rovira wrote:
> I have to go back and read the flower poems...It seems like neither
> innocence nor experience are worthy states in Blake, but I always saw Old
> John as being the goal...the return to innocence after passing through
> experience. You are innocent once again, but not naive.
I completely agree, though I'm not so sure Blake actually thinks this
is possible. I believe he sees it an the ideal, but acknowlogies the
one-way door of experience.
> I see Blake as criticizing the establishment of Reason above all other
> faculties and uses Heaven and Angels as symbols of reason, while Hell,
> etc, the Tyger, are symbols of passion, fire, the body, emotions, etc.
> Thus to be whole you need both -- perhaps the true meaning of the
> marriage of heaven and hell :)
>
> But each are given its own voice, and each perspective by itself is
> limited.
I guess when I read it I had trouble seeing the synthasis. The angles
(reason) are cast in such a poor light that he seems to be divorcing
himself from that line of thinking. One of the most confusing parts that
probably holds the answer to this question is when the narrator meets an
angel (? I going on memory of a five year old reading) and the angel
offers to show him heaven. The narrator sees what I take as a horrible
sight, but the angel seems to see something different. Anyway, I always
took the seen as showing the lack of unity of vision for heaven and hell.
I must admit i find Blake very confusing, but I love him as the best of
the Romantics.
> Course, I do think Blake has more fun poking at reason with Hell :)
absolutely.
-j