Customer Reviews

The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake, New and Revised edition

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How is it possible that Blake was able to articulate the full enormity of his vision while keeping up with the complex mythological narrative he invented? Through much of his longer poetical works he so effortlessly associates his mammoth cosmic figures with a riveting and impassioned philosophical discourse. One wonders whether the man was even human. And yet it is precisely this disbelief he and, a bit later and with more severity, Nietzsche preached against.

For Blake, the human imagination is the gateway to eternity, and anyone is capable of it. Yet even this vote of confidence in man falls short of Nietzsche's often misunderstood optimism when he asserts that artistic achievement has nothing to do with the "muse" and is wholly within the boundaries of human ability. For Nietzsche, man alone responsible for his great works, and to credit anything else with their sublimity is to undermine human potential. But Blake, a man of profound faith, contends that "When I am commanded by the spirits, then I write; and the moment I have written, I see the words fly about the room in all directions." Yet how telling it is that even this humble explaining-away of his powers is fraught with poetry.

But whether or not Blake credited himself with his evident genius, the works speak for themselves. And for "The Complete Poetry and Prose," two of the most competent Blake scholars join forces to offer a clear, extensive and informed presentation of Blake's output. Astonishing in scope and scholarship, this Erdman/Bloom edition is as indispensable for Blake's work as it is for their notes and commentary. My only complaint is the inconsistency of Bloom's commentary. He skips entire sections of Blake's worth here, whereas he covers every last word of it in his own book, "Blake's Apocalypse." Hmm . . . Harold wouldn't, by any chance, be trying to get us to, um, SPEND a little more, you think? Naaahhh.

But no commentary -- no matter how illuminating -- will ever approach the radiance of Blake's own words. From the plainspoken awe of the early masterpieces, "Ahania" and "The Book of Thel," to the astonishing epics "The Four Zoas" and "Jerusalem" and right down to "The Mental Traveler," that late fruition of Blake's bitingly ironical voice, "The Complete Poems and Prose" reads like a Bible in its own right. Routinely taking on such lofty subjects as the fall of man, love and jealousy, desire and reason, good and evil, a reading of Blake's work all together yields just as much beauty, mystery and genius.

Equally as riveting are the many letters with which the primary portion of the book concludes. Rife with the fierce inquisitiveness and confidence that characterizes the famous "Proverbs of Hell," Blake's letters rank with those of Keats and Hopkins as some of the most stirring autobiographical sketches ever produced by a master poet.

Erdman's "Prophet Against Empire" and Bloom's aforementioned "Blake's Apocalypse" make for great companion pieces, as does Frye's "Fearful Symmetry." But I think the best way for new readers to take on Blake's work is by diving blindly into its initially cold waters, and only calling in Erdman, Bloom and Frye to turn up the heat later on.

There's not much more I can say after reading the reviews below, except to agree that this is _the_ book to own if you're wanting to add William Blake to your library.

This is a large book, clocking in at around nine hundred pages. Within you'll find all the great poetry that makes Blake, well, Blake. The "Songs of Innocence and Experience" are truly wonderful, as is "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell".

Lots to read here beyond than the known works, including miscellaneous poems, songs and verses and sataric verses and epigrams, even letters that Blake himself wrote.

The book is neatly organized and easy to navigate, making the section you're looking for a snap to find. At the back of the book are sections with textual notes (a small "t" is marked throughout Blake's works), and commentary (a small "c"), also marked. Invaluable resources to help understand and navigate the complexity of Blake's poems and prose. An index of titles and first lines is also included in the back.

All in all a wonderful collection for any Blake fan to own and for the curious to lose themselves in the majesty that is William Blake.

This is an essential book for those of us who love William Blake for his words as well as for his engravings, drawings, and paintings.

I hardly knew anything about Blake before I made several trips to London on business in 1995 - 96. When I began to see his work (for example, at the Tate - now Tate Britain) I was deeply moved. I read the wonderful biography by Ackroyd that was just then published and began to collect affordable editions of the illustrated works.

Later, I became aware of this book and purchased it as well. It is very affordable and contains many wonderful things in addition to the primary writings of Blake. For example, we also get Blake's annotations of other writers' works, some of his letters, and textual notes. On the downside, there are a only a few black and white illustrations. This is a book for thinking about Blake's WORDS.

Yes, by definition the illuminated works really do require the illustrations to be complete, but it is hard to meditate and think about just the words without being distracted by those amazing drawings. (Princeton University Press publishes fabulous editions of the illuminated works in paperback.) By all means spend a great deal of time with the illuminated works and you will be richly rewarded, but spending time with the words apart is also very wonderful and very helpful.

The always rewarding Harold Bloom also provides extended commentary on many of the works in the back of the book.

Please put this book in your library and on your shelf - AFTER you read it. Then take it off again to drink of these great words over and over again.

I own several editions of the so called "Complete Poetry" editions of Blake. Well, this one just stands out on his own. Although it would have been nicer if it had included more images (it includes only 4 monochromes) I must admit that this book's achivements are its complementary notes and commentaries. Erdman is really an amazing researcher and he has helped me a lot in understanding Blake's universe. Harold Bloom does his share when commenting most of the larger poems, and to comment Jerusalem or Milton is almost as commenting Miltons' "Padarise Lost" or even the Bible. They both deliver a great deal of insight on Blake's poetry, and I'm thankful for that. I have been a fan of Blake's poetry for almost 5 years now, and I've only started to understand his larger prophetic poems.

If you're new to Blake you may not need this kind of book... Even if you are a Blake fan. Maybe Alicia Ostriker's "The Complete Poems" (ISBN 0-14-042215-3) can give you a lighter side of Blake. As a matter of fact, what I liked so much about Alicia's edition is that it has an index of proper names, so If you don't know who (or what) The Four Zoas stand for, maybe you should consider buying her book.

If you are looking for Blake's works of art, then you must get your hands on any of the wonderful DOVER editions published... They are unexpensive and brilliantly printed.

Anyway, if you are new... Welcome.
If you are an oldie... GET THIS BOOK! or even better GET THE MANUSCRIPT FACSIMILE!

When one of my Shimer students saw Mr. Erdman's alternate arrangement of "Auguries of Innocence" he threw his book at a bush. Some of my students think that "Auguries" is one of Blake's greatest poems and I agree with them. Its structure is a key to Blake's vast mythic system. Without that key there's little hope of passing through Jerusalem's wall to the places where heaven and earth coalesce in a cosmic orgasm of intellectual joy.

Mr. Erdman is a marvelous scholar, dedicated to Blake. Mr. Bloom is as inspiring as he is informative. But for Blake in its most pure form I prefer Sir Geoffrey Keynes' edition. He was not a professional scholar, but a learned amatuer in the finest sense of the word. When he wasn't busy with his medical practice he was lovingly creating the best complete edition of Blake's poetry and prose...

It has all his writings: letters, anotations scribbled in the margins of other people's books, everything. Only downside: it doesn't show his illuminated printing.

Although this book contains no paintings, which is to say it is only half Blake, it is a unique opportunity to have all Blake in one single volume.
Excellent edition.
The paperback binding is not very solid in this massive (circa 1000 page) book. Some pages detach...

This book is marvelous! With every poem and prose work done by Blake, including letters, commentary, and textual notes, this is ~the~ book for all Blake fans. This book even shows the stages of Blake's writing in the textual notes, such as the various versions of his poems. Highly recommended!

It's amazing how soothing just reading William Blake's poetry is on the troubled soul. I always look for his work to ease my mind and lift my spirit. Everyone should treat themselves to his work. Peace be with you.

I can't compare this edition of Blake's Poems to others because this is the first collection of his that I have owned. But after spending much time in his work it seems that what Herman Melville said of William Shakespeare, ( his " acquaintance with the Divine William " ), is more appropiately attatched to William Blake.