English 931:  19th-Century British Author                                                                                                 

William Blake

Stephen C. Behrendt

319 Andrews; 472-1806

office: 2-3T, 2-4R and by appointment

Go here for a direct link to The Blake Archive

Tentative Schedule

Aug 25  Introduction(s), procedures, background

             Studying Blake in 2002: texts and technology

                                                – The book, the library, and the Internet

                                                – Research in the digital age

                                                – Thinking about interdisciplinary art

                                                – Blake's visual art

Sep    1  Poetical Sketches
              An Island in the Moon

Sep 2 (F) --- Last day to drop this class and have it removed from your permanent record. After today all "drops" will be indicated by a "W" on yourpermanent record.

Sep    8  Songs of Innocence and of Experience, 1

                                       – Exploring an electronic edition on your own
                                       – Children's books (illustrated and not) in Blake's time

                                       – Children's books in 2002

Individual electronic copies of Songs of Innocence and of Experience

• Songs of Innocence, copy U, 1789 (Houghton Library): electronic edition

• Songs of Innocence, copy B, 1789 (Library of Congress): electronic edition

• Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy C, 1789, 1794 (Library of Congress): electronic edition

• Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy F, 1789, 1794 (Yale Center for British Art): electronic edition

• Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy R, 1795 (Fitzwilliam Museum): electronic edition

• Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy L, 1795 (Yale Center for British Art): electronic edition

• Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy Z, 1826 (Library of Congress): electronic edition

• Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy AA, 1826 (Fitzwilliam Museum): electronic edition
  

                                       – tracing connections, intersections, resonances

Sep 22  The Book of Thel

                                       – Blake and narrative

                                       – Mary Wollstonecraft and feminism in Blake's time

Individual electronic copies of The Book of Thel:

• The Book of Thel, copy H, c. 1789 (Library of Congress): electronic edition
• The Book of Thel, copy J, c. 1789 (Houghton Library): electronic edition
• The Book of Thel, copy F, c. 1795 (Library of Congress): electronic edition
• The Book of Thel, copy O, c. 1818 (Library of Congress): electronic edition

     Visions of the Daughters of Albion

                                       – Blake and irony

Individual electronic copies of Visions of the Daughters of Albion:

• Visions of the Daughters of Albion, copy a, 1793 (Library of Congress): electronic edition
• Visions of the Daughters of Albion, copy A, 1793 (British Museum): electronic edition

• Visions of the Daughters of Albion, copy C, c. 1793 (Glasgow University Library): electronic edition

• Visions of the Daughters of Albion, copy J, c. 1793 (Library of Congress): electronic edition

• Visions of the Daughters of Albion, copy F, c. 1794 (Pierpont Morgan Library): electronic edition

• Visions of the Daughters of Albion, copy G, c. 1795 (Houghton Library): electronic edition

• Visions of the Daughters of Albion, copy P, c. 1818 (Fitzwilliam Museum): electronic edition

Sep  29  The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

                                       – What is prophecy?

                                       – What is satire?

                                       – What do we need to know to read MHH more effectively?

Individual electronic copies of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell:

• The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, copy C, 1790 (Pierpont Morgan Library): electronic edition
• The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, copy H, c. 1790 (Fitzwilliam Museum): electronic edition
• The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, copy F, c. 1794 (Pierpont Morgan Library): electronic edition
• The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, copy D, c. 1795 (Library of Congress): electronic edition
• The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, copy G, c. 1818 (Houghton Library): electronic edition
• The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, copy I, 1827 (Library of Congress): electronic edition

  A Vision of the Last Judgment

           – representing the Last Judgment 
           – millennarianism in the 1790s

Oct   6  America: A Prophecy

                                       – Blake and the uses of history

                                       – English attitudes toward the American Revolution
                                       – History and myth

Individual electronic copies of America: A Prophecy:

• America a Prophecy, copy E, 1793 (Library of Congress): electronic edition
• America a Prophecy, copy A, 1795 (Pierpont Morgan Library): electronic edition
• America a Prophecy, copy M, c. 1807 (Yale Center for British Art): electronic edition
• America a Prophecy, copy O, 1821 (Fitzwilliam Museum): electronic edition

Oct 13  Europe: A Prophecy

                                       – Blake and the history of the world

                                       – English attitudes toward the French Revolution

Individual electronic copies of Europe: A Prophecy:

• Europe: a Prophecy, copy B, 1794 (Glasgow University Library): electronic edition
• Europe: a Prophecy, copy E, 1794 (Library of Congress): electronic edition
• Europe a Prophecy, copy H, 1795 (Houghton Library): electronic edition
• Europe: a Prophecy, copy K, 1821 (Fitzwilliam Museum): electronic edition

      The Song of Los

Individual Electronic copies of The Song of Los:

• The Song of Los, copy A, 1795 (British Museum): electronic edition
• The Song of Los, copy B, 1795 (Library of Congress): electronic edition
• The Song of Los, copy D, 1795 (British Museum): electronic edition

    Oct 14 (F) – Last day to change your registration for this or any other course to or from "Pass / No Pass"

Oct  20  The Book of Urizen

                              – Blake, Genesis, and the Bible

                               – illustrated bibles

                                 Romantic nonconformist Christianity

Individual Electronic copies of The Book of Urizen

• The First Book of Urizen, copy A, 1794 (Yale Center for British Art): electronic edition
• The First Book of Urizen, copy C, 1794 (Yale Center for British Art): electronic edition
• The First Book of Urizen, copy F, 1794 (Houghton Library): electronic edition
• The First Book of Urizen, copy B, 1795 (Pierpont Morgan Library): electronic edition
• The Book of Urizen, copy G, c. 1818 (Library of Congress): electronic edition
  
  The Book of Ahania
                 Electronic copy of The Book of Ahania

  The Book of Los

Electronic copy of The Book of Los

Oct 27  Milton

                                       – Milton's reputation in the 18^th century

                                       – Blake's Milton illustrations
                                              -- also his illustrations to Paradise Lost

Electronic copy of Milton: A Poem

 

Nov  3  Milton
                Laocoön

Electronic copy of Laocöon

Nov 10   — NO CLASS MEETING TONIGHT —

                  Nov 11 (F)   Last day to withdraw from this or any other any course for the semester

Nov 17   Jerusalem

       Electronic copy of Jerusalem

Nov 24  — THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY — NO CLASS MEETING TONIGHT —

Dec   1  Research, creativity, and Blake

                Individual Presentations, 1

Dec   8  Individual Presentations
             Conclusion(s)
              Course evaluation