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Proseminar: William Blake

Course Description

In this Proseminar we will have a closer look at the works of one of the most controversial figures in English Romantic literature: William Blake (1757-1827). By fusing poetry and painting into a literary work of art Blake created a mythological universe of his own. While some critics termed his visions an outgrowth of mysticism others refer to Blake as the great prophet of his age who in his works wrapped his cultural and social surroundings in the cloth of religious allegory.
To acquire an overview over Blake's mythological world we will look both at his own Illuminated poems and at his illustrations for the works of other authors. Thus, the seminar will cover works like The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1793), Visions of the Daughters of Albion (1793), The Four Zoas (1797), Milton (1804-1808), Jerusalem (1804-1820) and, furthermore, Blake's paintings for The Book of Job (1821-25), The Book of Revelation and Dante's Divine Comedy (1308-21, 1825-26) among others.

Prerequisite:

Successful completion of the lecture "Introduction to the Study of Literature". Magister-Students should present the Schein in the first session of the course.

Credit Requirements:

Regular attendance and active participation in the discussion, oral presentation, term paper (10-15 pp.).

Required Reading:

A reader with relevant material will be made available in the first session.

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