The Folds of War: Blake's Meaning of Warfare and Warfare of Meaning
Abstract
This thesis will attempt to elucidate the diverse levels of meaning involved in gaining a full understanding of William Blake's perspectives on warfare. In doing so, the discussion will intend to resolve a fundamental paradox apparent in Blake's mythology: that Blake's poems seem to simultaneously suggest that violent warfare was an acceptable means for revolution, but bloodshed was unacceptable; and that rationalist institutions should be overthrown in favor of artistic imagination, but armed conflict should not facilitate this action. By examining Blake's primary texts--from this early works to the later complex mythologies--along with a variety of Blake scholarship and criticism, this essay will trace the development of Blake's thought and, principally using Blake's idea of a threefold division of existence, discriminate between the three general kinds of meaning he used for war: the corporeal, the mental, and the spiritual. These discriminations will thereby help sort out the apparent paradoxical nature of his use of war. Theses.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA197214
Entities
People
- George M. Luker
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology