The Book of Urizen

By William Blake and Clark [Introduction] Blake, William; Emery

Book Overview

"The Book of Urizen" is one of William Blake's most significant and complex prophetic works, serving as a reimagined creation myth that explores the origins of existence through a visionary lens. In this profound poetic narrative, Blake introduces the figure of Urizen, the embodiment of cold reason and restrictive law, who separates himself from the other Eternals to create a world of material limits. Through intense and rhythmic verse, the work chronicles Urizen's descent and the subsequent emergence of the physical universe, mortality, and the human form.

A masterpiece of English Romantic literature, this work challenges traditional theological concepts of the Fall and creation, offering instead a psychological and philosophical critique of institutionalized religion and societal control. Blake's unique mythology comes to life as he examines the tension between imagination and order, making "The Book of Urizen" a cornerstone for those interested in mysticism, symbolic poetry, and the evolution of Blake's expansive spiritual cosmology. This work remains a vital study of the human condition and the creative struggle against intellectual bondage.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025368029
• ISBN13: 9781025368023
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 88 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Blake's universal origins similar to those of Gnostics

Anyone else notice the parallels between Blake's illuminated text and the universal origins described in the recently uncovered scrolls contained in the Nag Hammadi Library, the ones that are the oldest origional records of the words of Jesus Christ in the Secret Book of James? From the ignorant splitting from the undescribable origional of the lesser and jealous "God" (arguably the Old Testament's Jehova) to the metaphor of the chain, it seems as if they could be mirror images. The interesting part is that the Nag Hammadi library was discovered in 1947- the same year the Dead Sea Scrolls were found-- and has been dated back to approximately 50 AD. Almost all other Gnostic writings had long been destroyed by the early Church. Read into this what you may, but Blake most probably never read this particular text. Personally, I take this as proof of at least authenticity, and moreover that Blake was in greater alignment, more like Christ, if you will, than most humans so far. I bet he could make a killer salad.

Incredible depiction of the rise of the human body

Blake's "The [First] Book of Urizen" is an incredible poetical and visual depiction of the rise of the flesh and the implications of being bound to our bodies. Particulalry interesting because the book manages to depict an occurance that, according to Blake himself, is impossible to describe. The use of the metaphorical tool of a mythology by the book comes as close as one could expect from a peice of writing to achieving this depiction (the rest, appropriately enough, is up to our imagination). It is this undertaking of what seems to be an impossible task (that of attempting to represent the metaphysical through the physical) that shows this poem's bravery.