The Complete Poetry & Prose of William Blake

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.

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 d

While Sir Geoffrey Keynes (brother of "that other Keynes") did a much-lauded service with this edition, wary readers should note that the punctuation is deliberately "corrected" by the editor. The Erdman and Ostriker editions at least attempt to give you what Blake wrote. Insofar as, in the illuminated works, the punctuation was Blake's own and not that of a drunken compositor, that seems an important consideration.(I went with the Erdman; the Penguin's notes are better in many ways, glosses rather than commentary, but Penguin books are so damn shoddy these days, & the Erdman is published as a book that'll bear some reading without falling apart. Look at the old 2dhand Penguins in used-book shops; few of today's Penguins will survive so long, I fear.)

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.

William Blake is one of the most underrated writers of all time. He is also a wonderful visual artist. Unlike his contemporaries, such as Milton, he created his own Mythology. A complex heirarchy of preternatural beings. Many people have spent years trying to piece together the puzzle of his complex philosophy. Any fan of enlish literature, and desire to be challeged by a writer gifted not only in meter, but also in content will be sad that they had not read Blake sooner. He comes very highly recommended. He affects the way you think. I close with his words: "Forth from the dead dust, rattling bones to bones/ Join; shaking convuls'd, the shiv'ring clay breathes,/ And all naked flesh stands: Fathers and Friends,/ Mothers & Infants, Kings & Warriors."