Renovation of Form: Time as Hero in Blake's Major Prophecies

Renovation of Form: Time as Hero inbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA Blake’s Major Prophecies MOLLYANNE MARKS B ecau se o f h is sp ecial sen se o f im a g in a tio n , B lak e h a d in e v ita b ly to a b a n d o n c e rta in tra d itio n a l o rd e rin g p rin c ip le s. S p ace, tim e , a n d ev en h isto ry itse lf are in h is p o e try su b o rd in a te d to th e h u m a n im a g in a tio n . T h is is a p p a re n t d ra m a tic a lly in th e m y th ic fig u re o f L o s, w h o re p re se n ts im a g in a tio n a n d tim e a n d w h o se stru g g les to o v e rc o m e v a rio u s o p p o n e n ts are c e n tra l to th e la te r p o e m s; a n d it is e v id e n t also in th e stru c tu re o f th e p o e try itse lf. In d e e d , th e n e c e ssity fo r o v e rc o m in g th e lim ita tio n s o f tim e a n d sp ace b e ­ c o m e s th e th e m e , th e su b je c t, a n d th e in fo rm in g p rin c ip le o f B la k e ’s la te r p o e m s. B u t th e re is p e rh a p s a p a ra d o x h e re — a m e d i­ u m o f im a g in a tiv e e x p re ssio n th a t seek s to d e m o n stra te th e in a d e ­ q u a c y o f te m p o ra l a n d sp a tia l fo rm s can in its tu rn o n ly c re a te n e w fo rm s. B lak e sig n a lle d h is a w a re n e ss o f th is d iffic u lty w h e n h e said , “ I m u st c re a te a sy ste m , o r b e e n sla v e d b y a n o th e r m a n ’s.” It is th e e v o lu tio n o f B la k e’s “ sy ste m ,” in w h ic h im a g in a tio n la b o rs to g iv e a n e w a n d m o re h u m a n fo rm to tim e a n d sp a c e , w h ic h I sh all n o w c o n sid e r, first m o v in g q u ic k ly o v e r th e m a jo r te n e ts o f B la k e’s th e o rie s o f tim e a n d th e n d iscu ssin g th e sp ecific w a y B lak e a tte m p ts, in h is la te r p o e m s, to tra n sc e n d th e o rd in a ry lim its o f fo rm . 5 5 56 / MOLLYANNE MARKSbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA C ritic s h...