What Shall I Answer?: The Interrogatives Of William Blake's Jerusalem
Date of Graduation
Summer 2004
Degree
Master of Arts in English
Department
English
Committee Chair
Mark Smith
Abstract
By a detailed examination of William Blake's use of questions, this thesis seeks to present a solution to the problem of the apparent lack of narrativity, coherent language, and discernible form within his epic poem Jerusalem. This thesis proposes that Blake sculpts the language of the poem to challenge readers, purposefully avoiding, recreating, and subverting the hegemonic ideological norms and standards of culture and poetry to illustrate his concept of contraries. Key to understanding and illustrating contraries are the questions of Jerusalem, in their echoes and re-creation of the Bible, in their "open" and "closed" presentations, through images, and through their ambiguities, both in form and speakers.
Keywords
William Blake, Jerusalem, poststructuralism, interrogatives, epic poetry
Subject Categories
English Language and Literature
Copyright
© Luke V. Gibbs
Recommended Citation
Gibbs, Luke V., "What Shall I Answer?: The Interrogatives Of William Blake's Jerusalem" (2004). MSU Graduate Theses/Dissertations. 2299.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/2299
Dissertation/Thesis
