Allen Ginsberg on William Blake’s The Four Zoas continues from here
Then, in the Third Night (sic), Ahania has a reaction to Enion’s experienced song. However, her first speech is to Urizen, on line three
“Now sat the King of Light on high upon his starry throne..” – (that’s Urizen) – “And bright Ahania bow’d herself before his splendid feet” –
So from now on we’re going to get an argument between Urizen and his Emanation. We’re going to get the fall of Urizen in Book Three, and the letting loose, or wakening of Tharmas, the body, or the further degeneration of the body into a complete chaotic flood. Tharmas as water. Tharmas associated with water. In this case formless water by the end of this book.
She begins by saying that he’s perfect and why is he worried. That doesn’t seem consistent with her understanding of the end of Book Two, the Second Night. But she’s got
“(O) Urizen look on Me. like a mournful stream/ I Embrace round thy knees & wet My bright hair with my tears -Why sighs my Lord! are not the morning stars thy obedient Sons”
Sort of like talking to Elohim, actually. Aren’t you satisfied with your creation? Why are you complaining?
Student: Do you think she’s being ironic? Maybe?
AG: Maybe.
Student: Or trying to …
AG: Do you think that’s what it is?
Student: … plant … lead him on.
AG: Get him suspicious.
Student: Yes, saying, What’s the matter, isn’t everything perfect with you?
AG: Yeah.
Student: Then, I don’t know.
AG: That may be.
Student: Don’t you think she’s projecting it? She’s the one that’s worried and then she says, What’s the matter with you, why are you so worried?
AG: Well, he does have a big complaint in the following lines.
Student: Yeah.
AG: He gives a big prophetic complaint that there’s going to be a revolution, that everything is going to go wrong, within two lines.
Student: Yeah.
Student(2): He’s quickly influenced.
AG: Yeah.
“She ceas’d the Prince his light obscurd & the splendors of his crown/Infolded in thick clouds..” – (The thick clouds from the earlier books have always been thought – thought-forms, actually. Heavy, heavy thought forms that begin to obscure the transparency of Albion’s mind, I suppose).
“Infolded in thick clouds, from whence his mighty voice burst forth…” – And then he says, – “O bright (Ahania) a Boy is born of the dark Ocean”
There Urizen begins his speech. The boy will turn out to be some spirit of rebellion or revolt or the repressed energy that’s been cubed and solidified. (It’s) going to break out and it’s going to be born of the ocean which is Tharmas, (or) of the body. The energy of the body is going to rebel against the solidification and mathematical architecture of Urizen’s repressive crystal universe.
“… a Boy is born of the dark Ocean/ Whom Urizen doth serve, with Light replenishing his darkness/I am set here a King of trouble..” – (That’s great. The mind: “I am set here a King of trouble, trying to calm all the anarchic elements of nature.” “I am set here a King of trouble.” That’s a great line. Everybody’s a King of trouble, or a Queen of trouble).
“… commanded here to serve/ And do my ministry to those who eat of my wide table/All this is mine yet I must serve & that Prophetic boy/Must grow up to command his Prince but hear my determind Decree/Vala shall become a Worm in Enitharmons Womb..”
Now here’s a big prophecy from Reason as to how things are going to get reversed. Vala, the veil of nature and the natural world, shall become a worm, or, say, take birth or become a fetus in the womb of Enitharmon. In the womb of the Emanation of Poetic Beauty and creation.
“Vala shall become a Worm in Enitharmons Womb/Laying her seed upon the fibres soon to issue forth/And Luvah in the loins of Los a dark & furious death” – (Luvah in the loins of Los will then be born from Los).
So we have, what? Luvah and Vala, the couple – passion and emotion – and the Emanation of that in passionate emotional nature, are going to be born of, or are going to wombed by, poetic creation and the spiritual beauty connected with that.
Audio for the above can be heard here, beginning at approximately thirty-four-and-a-half minutes in and concluding at approximately thirty-nine-and-three-quarter minutes in