{"product_id":"book-eyr0","title":"The Book of Thel","description":"\u003ch2\u003eA lesser-known masterpiece by the visionary English romantic poet, William Blake (\u003cem\u003eThe Marriage of Heaven and Hell\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eSongs of Innocence and Experience\u003c\/em\u003e)!\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn comparison to Blake's later prophetic books, \u003cem\u003eThe Book of Thel\u003c\/em\u003e is relatively short and is easier to understand; this edition is entertainingly read by producer-narrator Jason Rosette.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the \u003cem\u003eBook of Thel\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Book of Thel\u003c\/em\u003e was most likely composed between 1788 and 1790. Composed of 14-syllable lines, this short poem was first published as a series of eight plates with illuminated text designed by Blake himself. Following an earlier, lesser-known poem, \"Tiriel\", \u003cem\u003eThe Book of Thel\u003c\/em\u003e suggests a romantic-visionary response to the timeless question regarding the acquisition of wisdom and knowledge. The poem became known as one of Blake's \"Prophetic Books\" for its existential interrogations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe poem follows Thel, a young shepherdess who wanders through a fantastical pastoral world called the Vales of Har, yearning to understand her purpose. Primarily concerned with her own mortality, various natural entities in her environment, including a cloud and a clod of dirt, offer her insights. The poem is significant for its animistic-natural representation of divinity and its direct handling of the question of existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWilliam Blake (28 November 1757 - 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. What he called his prophetic works were said by 20th-century critic Northrop Frye to form \"what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language\".\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"INAudio","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":51225974833456,"sku":"BDeyr0","price":1.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/eyr0-Square-cover.jpg?v=1774576827","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-eyr0","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}