Blake, Kierkegaard, and the Spectre of Dialectic [Paperback]

A central work for our understanding of romanticism, first published in 1991.In this 1991 book, Lorraine Clark traces the analogy between Blake's Spectre and Soren Kierkegaard's concept of 'dread', whose spirit of negation and irony he seeks to conquer, in both its philosophical and aesthetic manifestations.In this 1991 book, Lorraine Clark traces the analogy between Blake's Spectre and Soren Kierkegaard's concept of 'dread', whose spirit of negation and irony he seeks to conquer, in both its philosophical and aesthetic manifestations.This study traces affinities between the late prophetic poems of William Blake and the work of the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. Both feature concepts (the Spectre fought by Blake's poet-prophet Los, and Kierkegaard's idea of dread ) embodying a spirit of philosophical negation, skepticism, and dialectic which the writers sought to resist. Lorraine Clark uses Kierkegaard's philosophy to illuminate Blake's prophecies, showing that both offer the basis for a profound critique of romanticism, while themselves partaking of some of the ideals and tensions central to our understanding of the romantic movement.Acknowledgements; A note on texts and abbreviations; Introduction; 1. The spectre and the logic of error; 2. The spectre as Kierkegaard's concept of dread; 3. The spectre and the line of life; 4. Mastered irony as the ground of human community; 5. Irony and authority; Conclusion; Los and the spectre: master and slave in the labour of the negative; Notes; Bibliography. Lorraine Clark has given us an exhaustive appreciation of the enduring value of Blake's poetic and philosophical contribution. Kierkegaard is used as a convincing analogue that helps us understand the complex anti- and pro-