William Blakes Comic Vision

Blakes comic brilliance has been variously dismissed as the nervous ramblings of a neglected genius, the tomfool doodles of a distracted youngster, or a crude tool for destabilizing textual authority. But, for the eighteenth century, comedy played a pivotal role in debates on aesthetics, education, spirituality and morality. This exciting new study blends a close reading of Blakes early work with fascinating historical research to demonstrate that the comic was an essential component of Blakes artistic Vision.