MILTON, A POEM

This, the fifth volume of the collected edition of Blake's illuminated books, reproduces for the first time ever the magnificent copy of 'Milton' in the New York Public Library. As the editors demonstrate, this was Blake's own copy and reflects his final intentions for one of this most sublime, and the same time most personal poems. 'Milton' is a difficult and cryptic poem for those uninitiated in the ways of Blake's allusive and allegorical style. In an introductory essay, the editors directly address the nature of the poem's complexity, demonstrate how Blake's methods set out disconcert conventional concepts of time, space, and human identity, and suggest some ways in which readers coming to 'Milton' for the first time can meet and enjoy the challenges it offers. The editors also present a plate-by-plate commentary on how the illustrations contribute to the creation of a composite, visual-verbal experience. The extensive notes to the newly edited text will guide readers through 'Milton', its central themes and its byways, its heights and its depths.