The Evolution of Blake's Myth by Sheila A Spector

The Evolution of Blake's Myth by Sheila A Spector

In The Evolution of Blake's Myth, Sheila A. Spectorestablishes the dimensions of the myth that structures Blake's thought. She demonstrates how Blake used the myth hermeneutically, as the horizon of expectations for interpreting not only his own work, but the Bible and the visionary texts of others, as well.

"Easily the major work of 2020 is Sheila ASpector’s The Evolution of Blake’s Myth, which builds on her sizable scholarship on Blake, Kabbalah, and the esoteric tradition."

Wayne C. Ripley, Blake, An Illustrated Quarterly 55.1

"This ambitious and wide-ranging book represents the culmination of Sheila Spector's work on Blake and the esoteric tradition. As Spector points out, the study of Blake’s relation to esoteric tradition has suffered from adverse critical prejudice since about the mid-twentieth century. Spector’s book promises to revive the topic, bringing to it the sophistication about Blake (particularly his art) borne out of the last fifty years of Blake scholarship, as well as the wealth of her own knowledge and study."

Laura Quinney, Brandeis University

"Nobody knows more than Sheila Spectre about Blake's relation to kabbalah and esoteric traditions. In The Evolution of Blake’s Myth, Spectre traces Blake's rejection of exoteric myth and ways of thinking, and his development of a symbolic system based on esoteric traditions. Examining the interaction of illumination and text, Spectre treats Blake's plates as "image acts," the work of a "compositor" who organizes the input of the visualizer, who creates the illuminations, and the verbal narrator, who provides the words. In these image acts, Spectre charts how Blake's shift from exoteric to esoteric systems influenced the form of his own composite art, as well as the development of alternative symbolic forms and functions. The result is a fascinating discussion of parallels between Blake's work and Kabbalistic lore."

Paul Yoder, The University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Sheila A. Spector, an independent scholar, has devoted her career to studying the

connection between Blake and Kabbalism. Her companion volumes “Wonders Divine”: The

Development of Blake’s Kabbalistic Myth, and “Glorious Incomprehensible”: The

Development of Blake’s Kabbalistic Language, establish the foundation for her current

study, The Evolution of Blake’s Myth.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781032236155
ISBN 10	1032236159
Title	The Evolution of Blake's Myth
Author	Sheila A Spector
Series	Routledge Studies In Romanticism
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Routledge
Year published	2021-12-13
Number of pages	392
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.