
Milton: A Poem
'Milton: A Poem' Summary
The preface to Milton includes the poem "And did those feet in ancient time", which became the lyrics for the hymn "Jerusalem". The poem appears after a prose attack on the influence of Greek and Roman culture, which is unfavourably contrasted with "the Sublime of the Bible".
The poem is divided into two "books".
Book I opens with an epic invocation to the muses, drawing on the classical models of Homer and Virgil, which were also used by John Milton in Paradise Lost. However, Blake describes inspiration in bodily terms, vitalising the nerves of his arm. Blake goes on to describe the activities of Los, one of his mythological characters, who creates a complex universe from within which other Blakean characters debate the actions of Satan. As with all of Blake's Prophecies, the general structure of the Poem begins with the Fall and ends with the Apocalypse or consummation. The fall is pictured vividly as each of the five senses plummets into an abyss; each "broods" there in fear and desperation. These represent an early fallen Age in Blake's Mythological construct.
The early pages are dominated by a "Bard's Prophetic Song" who sings in Heaven where the "unfallen" Milton can hear. The relationship The Bard's Song has with the rest of the text is in dispute, and the meaning of it is complex. Referring to the doctrines of Calvinism, Blake's 'Bard' asserts that humanity is divided into the "Elect", the "Reprobate" and the "Redeemed". Inverting Calvinist values, Blake insists that the "Reprobate" are the true believers, while the "Elect" are locked in narcissistic moralism. At this point Milton, hearing the Bard's song, appears and agrees to return to earth to purge the errors of his own Puritan imposture and go to "Eternal death".
Milton travels to Lambeth, taking in the form of a falling comet, and enters Blake's foot, the foot here representing the point of contact between the human body and the exterior "vegetative world". Thus the ordinary world as perceived by the five senses is a sandal formed of "precious stones and gold" that he can now wear. Blake ties the sandal and, guided by Los, walks with it into the City of Art, inspired by the spirit of poetic creativity.
Book II finds Blake in the garden of his cottage in Felpham. Ololon, a female figure linked to Milton, descends to meet him. Blake sees a skylark, which mutates into a twelve-year-old girl, who he thinks is one of his own muses. He invites her into his cottage to meet his wife. The girl states that she is actually looking for Milton. Milton then descends to meet with her, and in an apocalyptic scene he is eventually unified with the girl, who is identified as Ololon and becomes his own feminine aspect.
The poem concludes with a vision of a final union of living and dead, internal and external reality, and male and female, and a transformation of all of human perception.
Book Details
Authors

William Blake
England
William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history...
Books by William BlakeDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Sonnenuntergang – eine Dichtung by Hans Bethge
This book is a dramatic poem that explores the themes of sunset, mortality, and the beauty of nature. The author draws a parallel between the setting...

Ὁμήρου Ὀδύσσεια (Ραψῳδία 08) - The Odyssey (Book 08) by Homer
The Odyssey is one of the two major works of Homer and at the same time European literature, so I am convinced that it is important that ancient Greek...

Velvet Shoes by Elinor Wylie
**Velvet Shoes** is a collection of poetry by Elinor Wylie, known for its lyrical elegance and exploration of themes of love, loss, and mortality. The...

Summer Evening by John Clare
“Summer Evening” is a poem by John Clare, a renowned English poet known for his depictions of rural life and nature. This particular poem captures the...

The Lusiads by Luis Vaz de Camoes
The Lusiads (Os Lusíadas) is a Portuguese epic poem, written in the 16th century by Luis Vaz de Camões. The poem tells the tale of the Portuguese disc...

Lady of the Lake by Sir Walter Scott
The Lady of the Lake is a narrative poem by Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1810. The poem is set in the Scottish Highlands, and tells the story...

Bobbsey Twins in the Country by Laura Lee Hope
The Bobbsey Twins, two sets of identical siblings, embark on a summer vacation filled with exciting adventures and newfound friendships during their s...

Confidences d'un joueur de clarinette by Alexandre Chatrian
Confidences d'un joueur de clarinette is a poignant and evocative memoir that tells the story of Kasper, a clarinet player who grew up in a small vill...

Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon by Jules Verne
First published in 1881, Eight Hundred Miles on the Amazon is an adventure novel by Jules Verne, having elements of codes and cryptography. Unlike man...

The Improvement of Human Reason by Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik Ibn Tufail
"The Improvement of Human Reason" by Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik Ibn Tufail is a timeless philosophical work that beckons the mind to wander through th...
Reviews for Milton: A Poem
No reviews posted or approved, yet...