LIB473
William Blake: Poet, Prophet and Mystic
We'll explore the unique, radical genius of William Blake, the extraordinary English Romantic poet, engraver and prophet. We will pay close attention to Blake’s famous Songs of Innocence and of Experience, then analyze his burning critique of organized Christianity, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, and conclude with an overview of his later prophetic poems. We'll examine Blake’s poetry as well as the accompanying watercolour designs. We’ll see that Blake’s radical politics and religion were part of the late 18th-century Romantic rejection of the Enlightenment values of materialism and analytic rationality.
A $50 discount will be applied automatically for adults 55+.
This course will be offered at Harbour Centre on Thursdays, Sep 12 - Oct 17, from 1:30 - 3:20 p.m.
Overview
Location: Vancouver
Duration: 6 weeks
Tuition: $180
Can be applied to:
Liberal Arts for 55+ Certificate
Upcoming Offerings
Course outline
- Week 1: The background
We’ll open with a survey of late 18th-century England and move on to consider the beginnings of Romanticism in England, including Robbie Burns, Thomas Gray and other “pre-Romantics.” - Weeks 2 and 3: William Blake
After a detailed look at Blake’s life, we will also glimpse him through his letters and annotations. The discussion will move on to analyze The Songs of Innocence and Experience. - Weeks 4 and 5: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
We’ll analyze The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, paying special attention to the engravings accompanying the poem. - Week 6: The prophecies
This final lecture will focus on Blake’s later prophecies and his place in the English literary canon.
What you will learn
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Develop a deeper understanding of the poetry, philosophy and mysticism of William Blake
- Discern the degree to which Blake’s acidic view of organized Christianity is warranted
- Appreciate Blake’s unique art, particularly his beautiful watercolours
- Recognize the enormous effect Blake has had on poets, writers, musicians and composers, both contemporary to Blake and modern-day artists
How you will learn
- Lectures
- Participation in discussions
- Supplementary resources accessed through Canvas
- Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)
Learning Materials
No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.
Technical Requirements
Handouts and other course resources will be available on Canvas, SFU’s online learning system.
To access the resources, you should be comfortable with:
- Using everyday software such as browsers, email and social media
- Navigating a website by clicking on links and finding pages in a menu
- Downloading and opening PDF documents