Allen Ginsberg in 1979 at Naropa, lecturing on William Blake’s “The Four Zoas’ continues from here
AG: “Last night I heard the Dog Star bark. Mars met Venus in the dark. The Queen of Love….” I forgot. Do you know that song of “Tom O’ Bedlam” which gives a very similar line-up of all the gods fighting in heaven? Mars met Venus in the dark and first of horn the star of the morn and the next the heavenly carrier. The star of war the wounded welcome weeping. In the wounded heavens weeping. There’s a little brief Blake-an vision of the god stars – or the constellations of the gods. Names actually the gods at war in heaven. Does anybody know that verse? “Last night I heard the Dog Star bark.” (I’m) serious. “Mars met Venus in the dark.” Karl Marx met Venus. (sic) “Mars met Venus in the dark.” I forgot.
So, “the Human form is no more” is the end of Mount Ephraim’s speech — the end of that speech that began “Mountain called out to mountain,” or “Ephraim calld out to Zion” in line eight
Then another speech begins. The demons of the deep, the demons of Ulro, begins on page three-oh-five. Ostriker, at any rate, says this is the song of the demons of the deep. And (on) page sixteen, line thirteen, it concludes “Thus Sang the Demons of the Deep.” So they have their song in which they’re repeating an account of the fall. Even more… Another chance, if you want, to go through the entire outline from the point of view of Ulro?
“…reddening with rage the Mighty Father” – (Tharmas) – “Siezd his bright Sheephook studded with gems & gold, he Swung it round/His head shrill sounding in the sky, down rushed the Sun with noise/Of war, The Mountains fled away they sought a place beneath./Vala remaind in desarts of dark solitude. nor Sun nor Moon/ By night nor day to comfort her, she labourd in thick smoke/Tharmas endurd not, he fled howling, then a barren waste sunk down/Conglobing in the dark confusion, Mean time Los was born/And Thou O Enitharmon! Hark I heard the hammers of Los/ They melt the bones of Vala, & the bones of Luvah into wedges..” – (Emotion packaged here – (This) is a song of the sufferings of emotions).
“The innumerable sons & daughters of Luvah closd in furnaces/Melt into furrows. winter blows its bellows: Ice & Snow/Tend the dire anvils. Mountains mourn & Rivers faint & fail/There is no City nor Corn-field nor Orchard! all is Rock & Sand/There is no Sun nor Moon nor Star. but rugged wintry rocks/Justling together in the void suspended by inward fires/Impatience now no longer can endure. Distracted Luvah/Bursting forth from the loins of Enitharmon, Thou fierce Terror/Go howl in vain..”
Now, what is born here, is Luvah bursts forth. Luvah – emotion – impatient, finally, bursts forth from the loins of Enitharmon in the form of a fierce terror, howling in vain. The terror is interpreted as being Orc – revolution – a new character which I don’t think has been mentioned here before. (Orc) has various births, or there are various stories of his birth. In this case he comes (as) a form of Luvah or emotion that comes out of the Spectre of Spiritual Beauty’s womb, in the form of impatient revolution. The terror refers to a character O-R-C – Orc.
“Go howl in vain, Smite Smite his fetters Smite O wintry hammers/Smite Spectre of Urthona, mock the fiend who drew us down/From heavens of joy into this Deep. Now rage but rage in vain/Thus Sang the Demons of the Deep. the Clarions of War blew loud..”
Well, that’s another rehearsal of the entire confused battle among the four Zoas. At least that’s how I would interpret that.
Audio for the above can be heard here , beginning at approximately fifty-three-and-a-half-minutes in and concluding at approximately fifty-five-and-a-half minutes in