Jerusalem

[khalakh_the_3rd]

What is the actual message of 'Jerusalem' (or whatever it was originally called).


And did those feet..

Well did they?
The contrast between 'And was jerusalem builded here..' and 'those dark satanic mills', as well as the fact that he 'will not cease ... until Jerusalem is builded' seems to imply to me that the answer to 'And was Jerusalem builded here' is no.
But what is he trying to say by all this?

[blakeman]

I believe that the questions asked in the first verse are all rhetorical--the anticipated answer to all of them is 'no'. Blake is saying that the Kingdom of God (Jerusalem) has not yet been established in England. In the next verse, he indicates his zeal for accomplishing this task. Although he uses militant terms (sword, arrows, etc.) to indicate that this requires a life-sacrifice, he also specifies that this struggle is a "mental fight".

[aemy]

There is a myth that Christ and Joseph of Arimetheia (sp?) DID visit England.

(Try the net for this one.)

But the main thrust of the poem/hymn is against the black pollution and the misery and exploitation of the workers in parts of England during the Industrial Revolution - "the dark Satanic mills."

[blakeman]

Yes, more on the anti-industrial theme can be found here

uh.edu/engines/epi1413.htm

[catharsis]

I believe that this poem is an parody of a papal bull inducing Holy War...

I think Blake was trying to say that the Never-Ending Christian Holy War will never come to a halt until they have succeeded in purging the lands of all devil and satanic cults which fuel the darkness within society.

I think the entire notion of building shows that Blake (the people) will not stop fighting until he (they) has (have) restored peace, unity and a firm religious stance under England's mighty empire.

I didn't really have the time to type this, but I'm just blabbering. Excuse me.

[Marijn]

Jerusalem

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!

I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.

-- William Blake


There is indeed a common legend that Jesus might have visited England himself. But, simply put, the point he makes here is our resposibility to "rebuilt Jerusalem", that we all have to work to make the world a better place instead to leave it barren.