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28 Nov 07 - 05:45 AM (#2203747) Subject: BS: 250th anniversary William Blake From: Emma B "Blake was a poet and artist before he was anything else, and he worked as all writers and artists do, feeling his way through the medium (the words, the forms, the colours) to the truth. He had the precious gift of expressing that complexity of thought in lines of unequalled force and limpid clarity: It works as poetry always does, on the ear and in the mouth, before it lets itself be disentangled by the mind. There is some great poetry which works like that, but which when disentangled leaves little but a delicate fragrance." from An English visionary a tribute by Phillip Pullman writing in the New Statesman The Sick Rose by William Blake O Rose, thou art sick. The invisible worm, That flies in the night In the howling storm: Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy: And his dark secret love Does thy life destroy. |
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28 Nov 07 - 06:53 AM (#2203767) Subject: RE: BS: 250th anniversary William Blake From: maeve Blake is one of my favorites. Thanks for posting this! maeve |
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28 Nov 07 - 08:50 AM (#2203810) Subject: RE: BS: 250th anniversary William Blake From: Rapparee Blake's the bloke, alright. |
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28 Nov 07 - 09:56 AM (#2203851) Subject: RE: BS: 250th anniversary William Blake From: Amos Thanks for the reminder. An awesome voice hidden behind a trellis, rigid in discipline and full of untrammeled fires. What a gift. A |
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28 Nov 07 - 10:09 AM (#2203859) Subject: RE: BS: 250th anniversary William Blake From: autolycus Happy birthday Mr. Blake. Interesting that one of his lyrics, Jerusalem, has become a patriotic hymn, while the birthday boy was a republican. Ivor |
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28 Nov 07 - 04:53 PM (#2204185) Subject: RE: BS: 250th anniversary William Blake From: Herga Kitty I'm not entirely sure, given Blake's lasting legacy in verse and song, that this should be below the line. On the other hand, if you've experienced the Middle Bar Singers' version of Jerusalem incorporated into "I am the music man" (along with the Dambusters, with actions), it probably does.... Kitty |
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28 Nov 07 - 04:54 PM (#2204187) Subject: RE: BS: 250th anniversary William Blake From: Rowan Ivor, there are some who regard it merely as an upperclass folksong but, to take your point with a another snippet from Blake, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions Cheers, Rowan |
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28 Nov 07 - 07:15 PM (#2204288) Subject: RE: BS: 250th anniversary William Blake From: Art Thieme Alas, see the Johnny Depp film---Dead Man! ;-) Art |
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29 Nov 07 - 06:05 AM (#2204508) Subject: RE: BS: 250th anniversary William Blake From: Schantieman On the subject of 'Jerusalem' (maybe this needs a separate thread?), many years ago I wrote a third verse to this hymn, one of my favourites, thinking that it needed it. I was then unaware of Blake's politics and though the verse might not fit the perceived ethos of the song as it's sung nowadays, maybe Blake would have approved? I'm immodest enough to think that it deserves a wider audience, so I'd appreciate comments........ (and, if you like it, sing it!) Jerusalem, verse 3 Words by Steve Freedman (after William Blake - about 230 years after; music by Hubert Parry) And shall the joy be thus confined? Cease at the bounds of England's shore? Shall minds be closed and hearts unmoved While mute starvation pleads for more? This must not be - we shall fight on! Our love extend, our greed destroy! Then truly shall Jerusalem The whole world o'er shout out her joy! (c) S J Freedman c. 1985 Comments? New thread? Steve |
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29 Nov 07 - 01:42 PM (#2204826) Subject: RE: BS: 250th anniversary William Blake From: autolycus I wonder how the conservatives and toyalist who happily sing it, would make of your addition. Rowan, not quite clear what you're saying via the 'Hell' quote. Ivor |
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29 Nov 07 - 01:49 PM (#2204834) Subject: RE: BS: 250th anniversary William Blake From: Folk Form # 1 Great illustrator, great poet, great republican. The song Jerusalem actually comes from a longer piece called "Milton" which has a prose preamble raging against the then war against France. Seen in that light, the poem is a protest poem, not a patriotic hymn. That it was set to music to rally the English during the Geat War is irony personified. Blake would have been horrified. After saying that, Parry's song moves me everytime I hear it. The sentiments remain true and do not lie. |