Talk:And did those feet in ancient time
From Academic Kids
"Jesus, while still a young man, accompanied Joseph of Arimathea to Cornwall on a visit to the tin mines of the area." I wonder if this was before or after He went to the New World....
I don't see why silliness was restored. Whose was that commentary that it needs to be in an encyclopedia? Some famous persons? Unlikely! The restored commentary was nothing but a childish prankish addition to the article.
Arthur 21:55 Mar 27, 2003 (UTC)
I took out some of the trivial wikifications, and left in the possibly obscure ones.212.112.96.46 07:12, 6 Oct 2003 (UTC)
And did those feet in ancient times -patriotic?
It's a misconception -albeit a popular one- that Blake's poem is patriotic. The poem is a condemnation of the first industrialists who spoil the English countryside with their "dark satanic mills". The swords and arrows of the poem are being raised to save nature -God's work, according to Blake - from man's interventions and build an ideal society there, a new Jerusalem. Remember the fight is "mental", not physical, and not intended to subjugate other countries or expand England's territory. Utopic, yes, patriotic, I don't think so. Maybe it is perceived as such because it is always sung alongside "Rule Brittannia" and "Land of hope and glory", two VERY patriotic songs, during events like the last night of the Proms? Written by Inge (inge.s@skynet.be)
- To this I'll add that, in near-total ignorance of the long poem that this hymn introduces, I too have always assumed that this text isn't patriotic at all. I was surprised to read that Blake's biographers say he bought this thing about Christ in England: I've always assumed that Blake is saying "Dude, England is nice and all, but is it the Holy Land? Is this where God chose to send his son? I don't think so! It's closed-minded and complacent to assume that our own little world of things-the-way-they-are is God's kingdom, not unless we do the work of making it so." (Hence the hymn's initial use in a suffragist context.)Iralith 16:29, 25 Oct 2004 (UTC)
Dark Satanic Mills
What is the author's source for saying "The reference to "dark Satanic mills", is ... a satirical reference to neolithic monuments such as Stonehenge"? All interpretations of the poem I have read refer to the Industrial Revolution, so some sort of references are going to be needed if this article claims something that is contrary to what most people think. — Asbestos | Talk 22:55, 20 Jan 2005 (UTC)
- As nobody appears to know or care, I'm going to remove the reference to Stonehenge. Objections? — Asbestos | Talk 10:48, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC)
- I'd say, go ahead -- the stonehenge theory exists, but it's only one, and very much a minority one.
- Blake seemed to have a slightly different concept for mill in his various longer works. None of these suggest usage in the context of monolithic circles - that doesn't mean he didn't have those in mind, just that the theory hasn't gained much popularity in Blake academic circles. source (http://www.emule.com/2poetry/phorum/read.php?f=4&i=26333&t=26292)
- The article should still make some attempt, though, to set out what people have thought Blake meant by "Satanic mills", as that is one of the main talking points that always comes up when the poem is being discussed. -- Picapica 10:38, 10 Apr 2005 (UTC)
- (BTW: I took out the trivial point: It is mentioned in several sketches of the television show Monty Python's Flying Circus. -- what isn't?)
