Brahma in the West
Book Description
Discover how ancient Hindu wisdom profoundly shaped one of England's most visionary poets in this illuminating exploration of William Blake's spiritual and artistic evolution. David Weir reveals the fascinating connections between Blake's revolutionary poetry and the eighteenth-century encounter with Hindu literature, showing how Eastern mythology became a catalyst for Western creative expression.
This scholarly yet accessible study traces Blake's poetic transformation as he absorbed Hindu mythological concepts and wove them into his own unique spiritual vision. Weir demonstrates how Blake's exposure to these ancient traditions coincided with his republican political beliefs and Protestant dissenting theology, creating a powerful synthesis that challenged the established religious and political order of his time.
Rather than simply borrowing from Hindu sources, Blake integrated mythographic insights with his radical politics and theological convictions to forge an entirely new poetic system. This system became his weapon against the combined forces of institutional Christianity and monarchical power, offering readers a glimpse into how spiritual traditions can cross cultural boundaries to inspire profound artistic and political rebellion.
For those interested in the intersection of Eastern spirituality and Western literature, this work offers valuable insights into how ancient wisdom traditions continue to influence and transform creative expression across cultures and centuries.
Who Is This For?
π Reading Level: Short (< 200 pages) (~5 hours)
ποΈ Tradition: Yoga & Hinduism
π Length: 170 pages
What You'll Discover
- β Explore Mythology, Hindu
- β Explore Religion
- β Understand Hindu philosophy and traditions
- β Explore Knowledge
- β Explore English poetry
- β Explore Hindu Mythology
- β Explore In literature
- β Explore India
