Arnold Kettle (1916–1986)

This is one of a number of Open University course books from the 1970s that I picked up for $1at a church junk sale a couple of years back. It forms part of OU's then Arts course on the Age of Revolutions. This is not really a book as such on William Blake, as it assumes that you have access to a set text of criticism and listen to Open University radio broadcast lectures. Notwithstanding, I found this a thought-provoking study of a poet I have long admired, but never studied systematically show more since I was introduced to him as an undergraduate.

Kettle introduces Blake, then sets the scene with a brief look at the Marriage of Heaven and Hell, before examining in depth the Songs of Innocence and Experience. The author always encourages students to make their own observations and form their own opinions, and is happy on more than one occasion to leave questions open. More often he makes some judicious observations and gives some interpretations. I would class these as sensible (which probably mean that I agreed with them). As a non-student I was probably eager to do less of my own work (although I tried the exercises in my head) and more eager for Kettle to do the heavy lifting.

I am guessing that this work is probably hard to find outside the UK (although I found it in suburban Australia!), but it is a balanced introduction to Blake. You'll have to do your own research to update the reading list (current at 1972!). show less

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