Europe: A Prophecy By William Blake

William Blake’s “Europe: A Prophecy”, produced in 1794, is not intended to be a prophecy, other than a way to expose the hidden motives and consequences of human decisions. Blake uses mythical creatures he has created to depict the country’s history.  “Los” is the imagination and eventful source of redemption. Blake uses an old bearded man named “Urizen”, that is the reasonable and vengeful Jehovah of the Old Testament as a front piece to his prophecy. Apart from “Urizen”, there is “Luvah”, which represents the senses, and “Tharmas”, which represents the emotions of the Old Testament. Each one of these characters has a female being that is commonly a negative character trying to dominate their male counterpart. The epic poem describes Europe seeing the interaction between “Los” and his emanation “Enitharmon”, who represents pity. This interaction results in the birth of “Orc”, the spirit of energy, adding importance to salvation. “Orc’s” birth angers “Urizen” and makes “Los” jealous, which consequently makes “Orc” bound. The poem describes “Enitharmon’s” dream as she sleeps for eighteen-hundred years. It opens with the birth of a “secret child” which is a reference to the birth of Jesus Christ and closes with “Orc” being free from bondage and appearing in the “vineyards of red France” as an apocalyptic second coming.

When people view Europe against the other Continental Prophecies, they see it as a glorification of the French Revolution, publicizing a close end to the old world order and the beginning of a universal liberation of mankind. But that is only one common theory people assume out of this poem. Competing theories suggest that Blake may have intended his Continental Prophecies to inherit the political views and revolutions of many. Blake uses the “Principle of rhetorical indeterminacy”, which is the principle of vague ideals, where the reader is forced into an active role of having to interpret the poem. This makes people participate in the construction of meaning, which is what Blake is trying to do. William Blake’s Europe prophecy is intended to tell the story of the industrialism of Europe. Twisting historical events to make them apart of his mythical story. But his story serves a purpose. It shows how certain ideals have influenced Europe throughout history in a non beneficial way according to religion and motives. These intentions and motives are always going to be interpreted, as long as William Blake’s prophecies exist.