"Unwilling I look up to heaven! unwilling count the stars!..." (Plate 4)

Print made by William Blake, 1757–1827, British, "Unwilling I look up to heaven! unwilling count the stars!..." (Plate 4), 1794

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Creator:

Print made by William Blake, 1757–1827
Text by William Blake, 1757–1827

Title:

"Unwilling I look up to heaven! unwilling count the stars!..." (Plate 4)

Part Of:

Collective Title: Europe. A Prophecy, Copy A

Date:

1794

Materials & Techniques:

Color-printed relief and white-line etching with oil, watercolor, and pen and black ink on moderately thick, slightly textured, cream wove paper inlaid to size

Dimensions:

Sheet: 14 3/4 x 10 1/2 inches (37.5 x 26.7 cm), Plate: 9 1/2 x 6 3/4 inches (24.1 x 17.1 cm), Spine: 15 3/8 inches (39.1 cm)

Inscription(s)/Marks/Lettering:

Inscribed in gray ink upper right: "2"; inscribed on back in graphite center: "4"

Lettered upper left: "Unwilling I look up to heaven! unwilling count the stars! Sitting in fathomless abyss of my immortal shrine. I sieze their burning power And bring forth howling terrors, all devouring fiery kings. | Devouring & devoured roaming on dark and desolate mountains In forests of eternal death, shrieking in hollow trees. Ah mother Enitharmon! Stamp not with solid form this vig’rous progeny of fires. | I bring forth from my teeming bosom myriads of flames. And thou dost stamp them with a signet, then they roam abroad And leave me void as death: Ah! I am drown’d in shady woe, and visionary joy. | And who shall bind the infinite with an eternal band? To compass it with swaddling bands? and who shall cherish it With milk and honey? I see it smile & I roll inward & my voice is past. | She ceast & rolld her shady clouds Into the secret place."

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