| THIS BOOK is divided into
two parts: "The Language of Art," which provides general background of
Blake's artistic sources; and "Blake's Visionary Forms," which contains
four specific studies of Blakean "visual symbols." These four studies describe
certain types of figures that seem to occur most often in Blake: figures
with outstretched arms; huddled figures clutching their heads; upward-leaping
figures; and dancing figures. Warner approaches Blake by moving from design
to poetry, turning her attention to Blake's repeated use of certain "visual
forms, gestures and attitudes of the human body" (xvii). The bodily imagery
constitutes a visual vocabulary that interacts with the poetry; design
and text are interdependent. In Warner's view, Blake employs these images
as "keystones or directional signs, aids to an understanding of Blake's
own multi-dimensional texts" (186). This highly useful book provides valuable
background information along with lucid analyses. Some images not mentioned
in the book don't seem to fit quite as neatly into some of Warner's analyses,
but she demonstrates a basic underlying "kernel of meaning" in Blake's
most-often-used images, which he builds on and elaborates. The book is
a good guide to some of this uniquely Blakean vocabulary. (Kimberly
Berry.) |