The Book of Thel - A Facsimile and a Critical Text

by William Blake, Nancy Bogen (Editor)

"The Book of Thel" is a poem by William Blake, dated 1789 and probably composed in the period 1788 to 1790. It is illustrated by his own plates, and is relatively short and easy to understand, compared to his later prophetic books. The metre is a fourteen-syllable line. It was preceded by Tiriel, which Blake left in manuscript. A few lines from Tiriel were incorporated into The Book of Thel. Most of the poem is in unrhymed verse. This book consists of eight plates executed in illuminated printing. Sixteen copies of the original print of 1789-1793 are known. Three copies bearing a watermark of 1815 are more elaborately colored than the others.
William Blake (1757 – 1827) was a British poet, painter, visionary mystic, and engraver, who illustrated and printed his own books. Blake proclaimed the supremacy of the imagination over the rationalism and materialism of the 18th-century. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, 18th Century, Romanticism, Literature, Fiction, English Literature

82 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1789

About the author

William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake's work is today considered seminal and significant in the history of both poetry and the visual arts.

Blake's prophetic poetry has been said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the language". His visual artistry has led one modern critic to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced." Although he only once travelled any further than a day's walk outside London over the course of his life, his creative vision engendered a diverse and symbolically rich corpus, which embraced 'imagination' as "the body of God", or "Human existence itself".

Once considered mad for his idiosyncratic views, Blake is highly regarded today for his expressiveness and creativity, and the philosophical and mystical currents that underlie his work. His work has been characterized as part of the Romantic movement, or even "Pre-Romantic", for its largely having appeared in the 18th century. Reverent of the Bible but hostile to the established Church, Blake was influenced by the ideals and ambitions of the French and American revolutions, as well as by such thinkers as Emanuel Swedenborg.

Despite these known influences, the originality and singularity of Blake's work make it difficult to classify. One 19th century scholar characterised Blake as a "glorious luminary", "a man not forestalled by predecessors, nor to be classed with contemporaries, nor to be replaced by known or readily surmisable successors."

Reviews

[Marc Lamot]

This relatively short and early (1789) poem by William Blake is somewhat similar to the combination of Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. It also has a pastoral beginning, with the young shepherdess Thel in a meadow landscape, but equally ends rather grimly with Thel who is besieged by the difficult questions of life and especially death. It has a distinct gothic flavor. It obviously contains themes that Blake would develop much more fully in his later work.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely long poem from Blake’s own mythos about a young shepherdess’ despair at the transitory nature of life. It’s an easy, enjoyable read and would probably serve as a nice introduction to Blake’s work.

Thel’s Motto

Does the Eagle know what is in the pit?
Or wilt thou go ask the mole.
Can Wisdom be put in a silver rod?
Or Love in a golden bowl?

My next book: Marvel Masterworks: Marvel Two-In-One vol. 2

[Flor M · Rating 4 out of 5]

english poetry for when your fever is up and your body is burning and your sins are eating you alive

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thel's motto is:
Does the Eagle know what is in the pit? Or wilt thou go ask the Mole: Can Wisdom be put in a silver rod? Or Love in a golden bowl?

The book full of mysticism symbols.

[Kerdel Ellick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece. I enjoyed it very much.

[Ⰰⱃⰿⰰⱀⰴ Ⱆⰾⰴⰵⱃⰻⰽⱁ Ⱅⰵⱄⰾⰰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Konzor
Zagreb, 2001.
Unutar tvrdih korica "Vrhovi svjetske književnosti"
Izabrao i preveo: Luko Paljetak
Kratak epsko-lirski spjev napisan 1789.
Blake je bio na drogama kada je ovo pisao. Genij pojedinca se očituje u stvaranju vlastitih mitoloških sastavnica, Blake je izvrstan u stvaranju svjetova. Blakeovi svjetovi su uistinu druge dimenzije, istinski totaliteti koji se putem jezika vizualiziraju majstorskom atmosferičnošću.
Blake izražava i odražava bit romantizma, larpurlartizam umjetnosti, visoki esteticizam, antimimetičnost. U tom smislu se odražava spona romantizma i rane moderne; Blake u stvaranju svjetova putem književnosti utire put žanrovskoj svjetotvornosti Clarka Ashtona Smitha i Howarda Phillipsa Lovecrafta.
Javljaju se toposi locusa amoenusa i aurea aetasa. Javlja se onim "Albion" kojim se označava otok Britanija.
Hasta luego!

[Bernie Gourley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This early work of Blakean mythology elevates the "lowly" elements of nature to show how they are more important than they may seem and that everything is tied together and interdependent.

It's much more readable than most of Blake's mythological works and has simple, straightforward morals that aren't that hard to discern and interpret. It also lacks the vast cast of characters and their complex symbology from the later mythology.

It's well worth a read.

[Aaron Schuschu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really strange poem. Not sure if the person in power was God or the Devil or a satire of God or Thel (the main character) or if the virgin was Thel or if the virgin was really some kind of flower and it was just expressing the relationship between plants and the rain in deeply religious and deeply sexual language, but, at any rate, it was a lot like a lot of Buddhist writings in that cravings cause the terrible things of life, but here they are anyway.

[Terri Hoskings · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about Blake? The elusive master of social commentaries: The Book of Thel will travel about with me and, as with other Blakean texts, will feed my imagination on a daily basis. I'm not going to say too much, not because I can't but because interpretation is everything, with Blake. He's the great Greek God of all imaginative visionaries.. I'll let his work speak for itself !!!

[Abrar Alnaseri · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual Blake delightful and dark thoughts mix has confused me yet it made reality more sensible.
I loved the transformation between questions from the very delightful thought to the deepest dark one. And i loved the answers even more.

[Salomé · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I fear that I am not like thee;
For I walk through the vales of Har. and smell the sweetest flowers;
But I feed not the little flowers: I hear the warbling birds,
But I feed not the warbling birds. they fly and seek their food;”
Yes, we all fear parenthood.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Blake book of poetry. It was light and happy. I liked it.

[Hans Ostrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much a seed for later prophetic books--heaven\hell, death\life, innocence\fallenness, and grasping, stultifying masculinity vs open-minded, generous femininity.

[Ethan Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the earliest of Blake's "illuminated books," the Book of Thel combines haunting poetry that evokes the dream worlds of childhood with striking illustrations. I advise anyone who reads this to find a copy of the illustrations. The best I can do to describe the poem is a brief summary with excerpts:

The maiden Thel wanders the vales of Har, conscious of her own evanescence.

Ah! Thel is like a watry bow. and like a parting cloud.
Like a reflection in a glass. like shadows in the water.
Like dreams of infants. like a smile upon an infants face,
Like the doves voice, like transient day, like music in the air.

Saddened and confused by her own mortality, she asks three figures about the meaning of death: the lily of the valley, the little cloud, the worm, and the clod of clay. The little cloud explains:

"Then if thou art the food of worms, O virgin of the skies,
How great thy use, how great thy blessing! Every thing that lives
Lives not alone, nor for itself; fear not, and I will call
The weak worm from its lowly bed, and thou shalt hear its voice.
Come forth, worm of the silent valley, to thy pensive queen."

The clod of clay invites Thel beneath the ground where she beholds the world of the dead. There she hears words breathed by "a voice of sorrow." She flees in terror back to the vales of Har.

[Zahra Rose Duxbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah! Thel is like a watry bow. and like a parting cloud. Like a reflection in a glass. like shadows in the water. Like dreams of infants. like a smile upon an infants face….Ah! gentle may I lay me down, and gentle rest my head, And gentle sleep the sleep of death…

William Blake, the premature romantic (and brilliant artist!) has me in a poetic chokehold. I decided to begin our journey with The Book of Thel, an alleged introduction to his philosophy.

In the poem, Thel, a young shepherdess, is troubled by the transient nature of life. She asks the lily, cloud and worm for answers, but finds their talk of individual roles and godly love unsatisfying. So she ventures to the land of the dead in search of truth. But there she sees her tombstone, and terrified, fleas.

Blake writes a lot about the transition from innocence to experience, and this is a great example of that. To find life’s true meaning, one must die. But who wants to die? And so we remain, mystified, inexperienced, innocent, alive.

[Markuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happened between Innocence and Experience

As the poem was written between the two cycles of Innocence and Experience, it helps to see the thoughts of William Blake, to follow the change of his views and doubts regarding his initial ideals.

I particularly liked the gradual flow of the poem towards a more grounded world. The style and the metaphors were still complicated but easier to understand than the ones from the Song of Innocence and Experience. Or maybe I am slowly starting to understand William Blake.

[Lucas Chance · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting beginning to Blake's personal mythology. But it does not have a ton either in terms of artwork or in terms of lines.

It is a good entryway though, although, the plot and relations remain as cryptic as ever.

This is the first book of Blake's where I have had a "meh" reaction.

[M.W. Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the first time that I've read this work. I find it an interesting work to return to from time to time. Blake's work is deep, and requires a slow reading. I think it is perfect for a book group, as a discussion would be helpful in gaining a greater understanding of the text.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for Blake's birthday! I found this in the art books just last week and had no memory if getting it. An exquisite reproduction that makes the plates too small by half, it is still a very curious text about Innocence and Experience.

[Alexis Hollingsworth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I much preferred Songs of Innocence and Experience. I felt this was a bit hard to follow in comparison. I am super picky about poetry though. And there may have been context I was missing that made it so confusing for me.

[Mantvydas Juozapavicius · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ne mano proteliui suprasti tokias subtilybes...

[Gail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps bc it’s late and I am tired, or perhaps it was the voice of the narrator (since I listened to the audiobook), but I was not able to connect to the pulse or purpose of this poem

[Hope Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

For class. Thel is sorta lowkey a whiny brat ??

[Igor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Works of William Blake

[Ellenore Clementine Kruger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh i edit this. Im an old single woman no kids. It is so unsafe outside a spiritual community. This william blake does not usually add up with my theology studies. I think maybe he knew about hazing or targeting the weak. The wording is a little off to me. Im sorry it was not comforting, but if the woman is a virgin or an independent spirit, i think it is better to read meyrink who had 2 books the golem and the one with dovecote. Be really careful. We dont choose our parents and it is dangerous to be different sometimes.

[luxintenebris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful, wonderful, a delight.

[Stephen Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thou seest me the meanest thing, and so I am indeed
My bosom of itself is cold, and of itself is dark
But he that loves the lowly, pours his oil upon my head
And kisses me, and binds his nuptial bands around my breast

Thel is the main character of this fairly brief poetic book. She’s a mournful figure, troubled by the idea of death and the ephemeral nature of life. When she voices these thoughts, various elements of nature speak to her of their own natural fates and how they accept their roles in the world. The cloud speaks to her of how she passes away with the wind and without complaint, etc. Then there’s an exploration of the joys of life contrasted with the sorrows which seems like a bit of a dry run for Blake’s Songs of Innocence & Experience collection, which was soon to come. I found a lot of really beautiful stuff in this one; the exploration of accepting the natural process particularly had a lot of gorgeous passages.