READING WITCOTT 5

America

Plate 3

Blake, of course, used the names of his Four Zoas to portray the interactions of the functions, and he was describing events which took place in Eden, Beulah, Generation and Ulro to narrate scenarios. As an intuitive introvert Blake experienced visionary images within his mind which he transferred to the words and pictures of his Illuminated Books. Witcutt's book encourages us to focus on the interactions which we see and read about in Blake works as taking place in our own minds and happening in the world which is more familiar to us. 

Witcutt Page 69

After the disintegration of the Self there follows conflict among the Zoas. The functions, displaced from their true positions, are now in conflict with each other.

"And the Four Zoa's clouded rage... 

In opposition deadly, and their Wheels in poisonous 

And deadly stupor turn'd against each other..."(Jerusalem 74)

"They saw their Wheels rising up poisonous against Albion
Urizen, cold & scientific: Luvah, pitying & weeping
Tharmas, indolent & sullen: Urthona, doubting & despairing
Victims to one another & dreadfully plotting against each other" (Jerusalem 43)

Witcutt Page 70-71

The Conflict between Intuition and Thought

The eighteenth century, the age into which Blake was born, called itself the Age of Reason. It was an unpropitious time for an intutive....

(Blake) repressed passion as well as thought, Luvah as well as Urizen. And he did this by means of a third function, imagination of intuition. Those who possess dominant intuition are comparatively rare; so it is not everyone who can do this!

"a Boy is born of the dark Ocean 

Whom Urizen doth serve... 

that Prophetic boy 

Must grow up to command his Prince" (Four Zoas III)

Witcutt Page 73

The Conflict between Thought and Feeling  

See Reading Witcutt 4
https://woeandjoy.blogspot.com/2020/12/reading-witcutt-4.html

Witcutt Page 82

The Conflict between Intuition and Feeling

This conflict is played out in the fractured relationship between Los representing Intuition and his son Orc representing Feeling.

"But when they came to the dark rock & to the spectrous cave 

Lo the young limbs had strucken root into the rock & strong 

Fibres had from the Chain of Jealousy inwove themselves 

In a swift vegetation round the rock & round the 

Cave And over the immortal limbs of the terrible fiery boy 

In vain they strove now to unchain. In vain with bitter tears 

To melt the chain of Jealousy. not Enitharmons death 

Nor the Consummation of Los could ever melt the chain 

Nor unroot the infernal fibres from their rocky bed  

Nor all Urthonas strength nor all the power of Luvahs Bulls 

Tho they each morning drag the unwilling Sun out of the deep 

Could uproot the infernal chain. for it had taken root" ( Four Zoas V)  

Witcutt Page 86  

The Conflict between Intuition and Sensation

Tharmas is the most repressed and unconscious of the Zoas, and his actions are correspondingly hard to understand.

"Now thou dost know what tis to strive against the God of waters 

 So saying Tharmas on his furious chariots of the Deep 

Departed far into the Unknown & left a wondrous void 

Round Los. afar his waters bore on all sides round. with noise 

Of wheels & horses hoofs & Trumpets Horns & Clarions" (Four Zoas IV)

Witcutt Page 89  

The Conflict between Thought and Sensation

So in the right state of affairs, Urizen supplies Tharmas with light, and Tharmas Urizen with food. This is perfectly correct symbolism. Thought enlightens sensation, and sensation provides thought with the matter to brood upon.

"The Body of Man is given to me I seek in vain to destroy 

For still it surges forth in fish & monsters of the deeps 

And in these monstrous forms I Live in an Eternal woe 

And thou O Urizen art falln never to be deliverd 

Withhold thy light from me for ever & I will withhold 

From thee thy food so shall we cease to be & all our sorrows 

End & the Eternal Man no more renew beneath our power" (Four Zoas VI)

Witcutt Page 90  

The Conflict between Feeling and Sensation

These are the two most repressed functions, and their conflict takes place in the lowest depths of the unconscious. Los (the Ego) is quite unaware of it.

"Luvah slew Tharmas the Angel of the Tongue ...

Los knew not yet what was done: he thought it was all in Vision 

In Visions of the Dreams of Beulah among the Daughters of Albion Therefore the Murder was put apart in the Looking-Glass of Enitharmon." (Jerusalem Plate 63)

 

Witcutt Page 91

 

Blake is the poet of the inner world of man, and peculiarly of these symbolic representations of the four functions which he calls the Four Zoas.