William Blake the 18th century poet, with a reputation for the mystic and mythology, is celebrated here in a fun interactive learning zone at the Tate!

http://www.tate.org.uk/learning/worksinfocus/blake/


And what better Blake poem to begin, than the one written on the board in a classroom scene in 'The Wickerman'?!


The Argument

Rintrah roars and shakes his fires in
the burden'd air;
Hungry clouds swag on the deep

Once meek, and in a perilous path,
The just man kept his course along
The vale of death.
Roses are planted where thorns grow.
And on the barren heath
Sing the honey bees.

Then the perilous path was planted:
And a river, and a spring
On every cliff and tomb;
And on the bleached bones
Red clay brought forth

Till the villain left the paths of ease,
To walk in perilous paths, and drive
The just man into barren climes.

Now the sneaking serpent walks
In mild humility.
And the just man rages in the wilds
Where lions roam.

Rintrah roars and shakes his fires in
the burden'd air;
Hungry clouds swag on the deep

~ From 'The Marriage of Heaven and Hell'
by William Blake ~




Not wanting to go too analytical into it, it's a powerful poem in it's own right....

But.... an interesting tidbit, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell was the first time Blake introduced his character 'Rintrah' in his mythology, symbolizing 'wrath', and Rintrah was also a supernatural Marvel comic book
character who was a sorceror's
apprentice, and then Dr Strange's apprentice, and he had a battle with Ghostrider.....