An unsurpassed account of the historical background mdash; literary; cultural; and intellectual as well as political and socialmdash;against which Blake worked and to which he responded as engraver; painter; and poet. mdash; English Language Notes.For many years; William Blake was seen as a brilliant eccentric on the fringes of English literature and art. In the twentieth century; however; he came to be regarded as one of the greatest English poets and painters; one whose insights have profoundly influenced such thinkers as Nietzsche; Freud; and D. H. Lawrence.In this volume; a leading Blake scholar shows how the political and social events and movements of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries influenced or inspired many of Blakes finest poems: "America;" "Europe;" "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell;" "The French Revolution;" "Songs of Innocence and of Experience;" "The Four Zoas;" and numerous others. While Blakes poems can be read on many levels; this in-depth critical study demonstrates that much of the strange symbolism of this poetry represents a literary campaign against the political tyranny of the day.For the third edition; David Erdman added much new material that came to light after the original publication of the book in 1954. Also included are over 30 illustrations; a Chronology; an Appendix of Additions and Revisions; and other materials. Written for students; scholars; and Blake specialists mdash; anyone interested in the relationship of the poets extraordinary symbolism and complex thought to the history of his own times mdash; Erdmans meticulously documented study is the definitive treatment of this aspect of Blakes work and is unlikely to be superseded."For our sense of Blake in his own times we are indebted to David Erdman more than anyone else." mdash; Times Literary Supplement.Dover (1991) republication of the third (1977) edition of Blake: Prophet Against Empire: A Poets Interpretation of the History of His Own Times; Princeton University Press; Princeton; New Jersey; 1954.
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Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. The modernist nightmare in all its desolationBy Tim LukemanThis astonishing book from 1975; which might as well be called a graphic novel though its very much sui generis; is indeed a mystery Kafkaesque puzzle as stated by previous reviewers. While no human beings appear in its pages; evidence of their former presence does; hinting at an absolute absence now. The text is part narrative; part poem of modernist emptiness mechanized wasteland -- its direct; detached; almost lyrical even as its lacking any emotional inflection; as if generated by ghosts wired into some laboratory abandoned to an unstated catastrophe. And yet its also filled with an elegiac; somber beauty as well. The art -- one panel per page -- is more like a diagram of damaged memories reproduced over time; even though the linework is utterly pristine clean.If this reminds me of anything; especially given its creation in the early 1970s; its the wildly experimental science-fiction of the short-lived New Wave. Concentrating on Inner rather than Outer Space; it explored absurdity; the inward decay of Western civilization the lack of anything to replace it. Often its prose resembled avant-garde filmmaking; with disjointed jump-cuts Surreal montages. "The Cage" shares this fevered yet sterile cool psychological tone; as well as a certain dreamlike quality thats both mesmerizing relentless. Definitely not for every taste; but a genuine work of art that retains its power today -- most highly recommended!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Synaptic Syncope.Brilliant.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Singular ExperienceBy Doug BowkerI owned an original copy of this for a long time; though I cant say what exactly happened that I at some point didnt. In any case; I saw it the one time that I bought it and never since. Obviously I will be buying a new copy and am really happy to see its getting a new publishing run. An as then as now; this is the sort of Art that one either connects to or not; with very little in between reactions. Similar to a film like Eraserhead by David Lynch; or 1980s David Cronenberg; or the Brothers Quay animations. You either find something of value in visiting their "worlds" or you dont. I wouldnt want to spend all my time in such places; but I greatly appreciate looking in through the window on occasion. So in book form; we have The Cage.I found my first copy in a museum shop in Washington DC in the late 80s; and though it had been thumbed through quite a bit I bought it immediately. If memory serves it was even a numbered copy; so clearly that first run was "very" small indeed. It felt as though I had found some artifact dropped off from an alien craft; or a dire message left from a time machine. It could be dystopian science fiction; or some beamed in warning. As I was in art school at the time; it was poured over; analyzed; dissected and lovingly read; and reread; by all of my friends and myself. No actual answers ever really could explain it all. I doubt that will ever change.The first reactions to reading (experiencing is really more accurate) generally followed a certain arc: Curiosity and intrigue. Delight at the meticulous detail and fantastical landscapes. Deep concentration coupled with vague confusion.. And finally...Stunned silence. Somewhere during that first read is the Question: "What IS this thing!?"It almost compels you read it all in one breathless sitting. Yet it is also SO opaque; so disorienting; so insanely detailed that it takes a real effort; a struggle almost; to actually go all the way through without stopping and trying to break the disturbing "spell" it seems to induce. You feel... changed somehow by it in the end. A sense of unease certainly; but also some kind of existential Freedom is being declared here.The images and text are in fact a lot like many of the passages described in Jean-Paul Sartres classic work Nausea. In that novel he also seeks to use his story to somehow "jolt" the reader out of their "sleep" and see the world in painfully fresh and new ways. The Cage is all that and more.