Tiriel

by William Blake, G.E. Bentley (Editor)

William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. 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. His prophetic poetry has been said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language". His visual artistry has led one contemporary art critic to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced". Although he lived in London his entire life except for three years spent in Felpham he produced a diverse and symbolically rich corpus, which embraced the imagination as "the body of God", or "Human existence itself".
Considered mad by contemporaries for his idiosyncratic views, Blake is held in high regard by later critics for his expressiveness and creativity, and for the philosophical and mystical undercurrents within his work. His paintings and poetry have been characterised as part of both the Romantic movement and "Pre-Romantic", for its large appearance in the 18th century. Reverent of the Bible but hostile to the Church of England - indeed, to all forms of organised religion - Blake was influenced by the ideals and ambitions of the French and American revolutions, as well as by such thinkers as Jakob Böhme and Emanuel Swedenborg.
Despite these known influences, the singularity of Blake's work makes him difficult to classify. The 19th century scholar William Rossetti characterised Blake as a "glorious luminary," and as "a man not forestalled by predecessors, nor to be classed with contemporaries, nor to be replaced by known or readily surmisable successors".

Genres: Poetry

104 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1789

About the author

William Blake (November 28, 1757 - August 12, 1827) 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

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unpublished in his lifetime, Tiriel is now considered to be the first of Blake’s prophetic narrative poems. It also utilises some poetic forms that he would go on to use in his later, more famous, published works. It’s a tragedy about a very dysfunctional family and a cry against foolishness.

Three of Blake’s illustrations for this piece have been lost, which is a tragedy as those we still have are beautiful.

... And now my paradise is falln & a drear sandy plain
Returns my thirsty hissings in a curse on thee O Har
Mistaken father of a lawless race my voice is past
He ceast outstretchd at Har & Hevas feet in awful death...’

My next read: Songs of Innocence

[Hans Ostrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not widely read, and the illustrations are oddly distorted sometimes, maybe on purpose, at least that's what I argued in the single piece of scholarship I managed to publish on Blake. The scholars who devoted and are devoting themselves to Blake's world are truly admirable.

[Marko Vasić · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, by now, my favourite Blake’s poem from the mythological cycle. The sublime sensation after its reading is the same as after reading some of Euripides’ tragedies. And Blake’s poem itself respires with antiquity, singing about the mad despot-tyrant which reminds me much of filicidal Medea.

[Mantvydas Juozapavicius · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ne mano proteliui suprasti tokias subtilybes...

[w gall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Evil triumphs? After the death of his wife, this Father curses everyone and finally dies. Not suitable for a bedtime story.

[Jim Aristopoulos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ενα απο τα λατρεμενα μου ποιηματα. Ο εξαιρετος ρομαντικος Blake ασκησε εμμεση σφοδρη κριτικη στην επικρατουσα μεχρι σημερα αντιληψη του κοσμου περι της παιδικοτητας, η οποια πηγαζει απο τον John Locke(τον μεγαλυτερο εχθρο του Blake οπως και ολος ο διαφωτισμος) ο οποιος χαρακτηριζεται ως προαγγελος του συμπεριφορισμου και της πλυσης εγκεφαλου των παιδιων και που δοξαζεται σχεδον απο ολα τα καθεστωτα των τελευταιων 200 ετων(καθως και τα εκπαιδευτικα συστηματα και την ψυχολογια) οτι δηλαδη το παιδι πρεπει να ειναι παθητικος δεκτης στην ''καθοδηγηση'' προκειμενου να ''διαμορφωθει''. Ο ποιητης περιγραφει με τεραστια αγανακτηση τις συνεπειες του να διαμορφωνεις το παιδι βαση του ''μηχανιστικου ορθολογισμου''(που απο μικρους μας οριζουν περι του τι ειναι <<πραγματικο>> και τι οχι καταστρεφοντας την παιδικη μας καλλιτεχνικοτητα και δημιουργικοτητα οριζοντας τον εσωτερικο μας κοσμο ως ''μη υλικο'' αρα ''μη αληθινο''), και του να κρινεις τη συμπεριφορα ενος παιδιου απο ''καταστασεις'' εξωτερικες απο το ιδιο αγνοωντας τους μυστηριους διαμορφωτικους νομους της ιδιας της ζωης καθως και την εσωτερικοτητα του. Σε αυτο το ποιημα, ο Tiriel, ο τυρρανικος πατερας ειναι ο ιδιος προιον μιας τετοιας εκπαιδευσης, αφου πεθαινει καταρριεται αυτους που, καταδικαζοντας τον στη <<συμμορφωση>> του στερησαν τη ζωη!!!!