001 - Marriage of Heaven and Hell

001 - Marriage of Heaven and Hell

Composed between 1790 and 1793 during a time of radical change and political upheaval following the French Revolution, Marriage of Heaven and Hell is a provocative exploration of duality in the cosmos. The title serves as an ironic nod to Emanuel Swedenborgs earlier theological work, Heaven and Hell, which Blake critiques throughout his text. While Swedenborgs grand, mystical vision influenced Blake, the poet sought to transcend conventional moral dichotomies, presenting a unified and depolarized universe where the material world and physical desires are embraced as integral to the divine order. This compelling work, predominantly written in prose, features an evocative Argument and the stirring Song of Liberty, all while drawing on the traditions of Dantes Inferno and Miltons Paradise Lost to narrate the poet’s journey through Hell.