For The Sexes

I've been somewhat remiss in posting at the moment, namely because I'm trying to prepare an essay on The Four Zoas as part of my submission for my end-of-first-year exam. Except it's not quite an exam. It's more like an interview. A microcosm of the viva in which I'll eventually defend my completed DPhil, I suppose. Anyway, I'm busy writing that, and when it's done and torn to pieces by my advisor, I'll share more about it. In the meantime, this particular poem has really helped to distract me from the complex allegory of Zoas. It's the Prologue to a series of engravings Blake completed entitled For the Sexes: The Gates of Paradise and it follows Blake's usual theme of railing against religion which exalts and imposes rigid legalism on its adherents. It's a rather similar complaint I have against modern Christianity (although Blake was able to hold on to his faith, whereas mine well and truly lapsed). Sadly, for Blake "legalism" often seems to get interpreted as the Mosaic law: for me, Blake is very much a supercessionist rather than a dual-covenant type of theologian (I think, those more versed in the finer points of Blake's attitude to Judaism/Hebrew Bible are more than welcome to prove me wrong on that point) which I find a bit of a shame. But anyway, in lieu of something actually substantial, here it is!

Mutual Forgiveness of each Vice
Such are the Gates of Paradise
Against the Accusers chief desire
Who walkd among the Stones of Fire
Jehovahs Finger Wrote the Law
Then Wept! then rose in Zeal & Awe
And the Dead Corpse from Sinais heat
Buried beneath his Mercy Seat
O Christians Christians! tell me Why
You rear it on your Altars high