All Religions are One (1970)
Title
All Religions are One (1970)
Original Date:
1788, 1795
Facsimile Date:
1970
Publisher:
Trianon Press
Physical Description:
10 plates ; 31 cm.
Background Information:
This work is one of Blake's earliest experiments with illuminated printing. He began working on it in 1788 and returned to it again in 1795. The facsimile is made from a composite of two different copies and was purchased by the Friends of the Union College Library in 1971.
Student Commentary:
Overview: In this poem, William Blake offers several principles to further his initial claim that Poetic Genius and knowledge can only be derived from original experiences. Poetic Genius, a term coined by Blake, is described as that from which the truest form of Man, as well as beings such as angels, spirits, and demons, originate. While this Genius is a universal concept that all Men, being alike as members of the same species, can experience in a similar way, Blake also claims that Poetic Genius is personalized to address the weaknesses of each Man. Blake offers a unified view of religions by asserting that the Jewish and Christian faiths are original derivations of Poetic Genius. The only true “difference” between religions is that different cultures interpret the Religion of Nature, set forth by Poetic Genius, in different ways. – Jessica Rosenthal, ’18.