« Real work | Main | Weaving »
March 20, 2005
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
Finally reading the foreword by Geoffrey Keynes, I notice the original print run of William Blake's revolutionary Marriage of Heaven and Hell stopped at only 9 copies, none of which seem to have be reproduced until 1927. Keynes's edition from Oxford University Press was first bound in 1975. Mine is a paperback 10th printing.
Like Blake's contemporaries as seen by Keynes, I find the author quite beyond my comprehension. Of course anyone who reads English would be bowled over by the prose of the straightforward plates, and at least distracted by the allegorical passages. But do I understand the guy? Uh, no, not really.
Keynes seems to have understood. He's doubtless infinitely better read than yours truly. When I turn to the cover illumination, the prime connotations I get are Dr. Seuss, H. R. Geiger, and Frank Zappa's monologue before Ms. Pinky on YCDTOSA, Vol. 6. (I'd scan the images, but would need copyright waivers from all the publishers first.)
Posted by Mark at March 20, 2005 02:20 PM