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Jerusalem Jason Whittaker (Head of the School of English and Journalism, University of Lincoln)

Jerusalem By Jason Whittaker (Head of the School of English and Journalism, University of Lincoln)

Summary

A reception history of William Blake's 'Jerusalem' that traces the hymn's increasing associations with national identity and explores how different social and political factions, both left and right, have sought to impose their own meaning on building Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Summary

Jerusalem: Blake, Parry, and the Fight for Englishness by Jason Whittaker (Head of the School of English and Journalism, University of Lincoln)

The stanzas beginning, 'And did those feet' are among the most famous works written by the Romantic poet and artist, William Blake. Set to music by Hubert Parry in 1916 and renamed, 'Jerusalem', this hymn has become an emblem of Englishness in the past century, and is regularly invoked at sporting events, public and private ceremonies, and, of course, as part of Last Night of the Proms. Yet when Blake first engraved his lines in his epic work, Milton a Poem, he had been tried for sedition. Likewise, although Parry was commissioned to compose his music as part of the war effort by the organization Fight for Right, he soon removed permission for that group to perform his hymn and instead gave the copyright to the women's suffrage movement. 'Jerusalem', then, is a much more contested vision of England's green and pleasant land than is often assumed. This book traces the history of the poem and the music from Blake's original verses, written in Felpham, via the turmoil of the First and Second World Wars, its recording history in the late twentieth century, and its use in political controversies such as the 2016 Brexit vote. An anthem for both the left and the right, Blake's own vision of what it meant to build Jerusalem in England is both strange and familiar to many who invoke it. As such, this book explores the deep complexities of what Englishness means into the twenty-first century.

Jerusalem Reviews

This book is fascinating ... Blake the revolutionary was never more relevant * Michael Church *
Jerusalem is a wonderfully researched, enjoyable work about a cultural phenomenon of the utmost familiarity, and it performs its task very successfully...Whittaker proves an excellent, lucid guide to realms of almost unimagined obscurity. * Philip Hensher, The Spectator *

About Jason Whittaker (Head of the School of English and Journalism, University of Lincoln)

Jason Whittaker is Head of the School of English and Journalism at the University of Lincoln. He has written extensively on William Blake, specializing in the reception of Blake by later generations of artists, writers, and musicians. He is also co-editor of the series Pop Music, Culture and Identity.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Arrows of Desire 1: And Did Those Feet? Blake and Milton, 1800-1827 2: Our Clouded Hills: Before 'Jerusalem', 1827-1915 3: Mental Fight: Parry, the Great War and its Aftermath, 1916-1922 4: Dark Satanic Mills: Peace and War, 1923-1945 5: Bring Me My Bow: Empire's End, 1945-1976 6: Chariot of Fire: Thatcher's Britain and the End of the Cold War, 1977-1996 7: Green and Pleasant Land: From Blair to Brexit, 1997-2016 Epilogue: Albion

Additional information

GOR013290236
9780192845870
019284587X
Jerusalem: Blake, Parry, and the Fight for Englishness by Jason Whittaker (Head of the School of English and Journalism, University of Lincoln)
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Oxford University Press
2022-07-14
272
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Jerusalem