Print made by William Blake, 1757–1827, BritishHand colored by William Blake, 1757–1827, BritishText by Edward Young, 1683–1765, BritishPublished by Richard Edwards, active 1796–1797, British
Title:
'The vale of death! that hush'd cimmerian vale' (Page 54)
Date:
1797
Materials & Techniques:
Etching, line engraving, and letterpress, with hand coloring in watercolor on moderately thick, slightly textured, cream wove paper
Dimensions:
Spine: 17 1/2 inches (44.5 cm)
Inscription(s)/Marks/Lettering:
Lettered inside image: "54 | Where darkness, brooding o'er unfinish'd fates | With raven wing incumbent, waits the day, | Dread day! that interdicts all future change! | That subterranean world, that land of ruin! | Fit walk, LORENZO, for proud human thought! | There let my thought expatiate; and explore | Balsamic truths, and healing sentiments | Of all most wanted, and most welcome here. | For gay LORENZO'S sake, and for thy own | My soul! 'The fruits of dying friends survey; | 'Expose the vain of life; weigh life and death; | 'Give death his eulogy; thy fear subdue; | 'And labour that first palm of noble minds-- | 'A manly scorn of terror from the tomb': | This harvest reap from thy NARCISSA'S grave. | As poets feign'd, from AJAX' streaming blood | Arose, with grief inscribed, a mournful flower; | Let wisdom blossom from my mortal wound. | And first, of dying friends; what fruit from these? | It brings us more than triple aid; an aid | To chase our thoughtlessness, fear, pride, and guilt. | Our dying friends come o'er us like a cloud, | To damp our brainless ardours, and abate | That glare of life which often blinds the wise: | Our dying friends are pioneers, to smooth | Our rugged pass to death; to break those bars | Of terror and abhorrence nature throws | Cross our obstructed way; and thus to make | Welcome as safe our port from every storm: | Each friend by fate snatch'd from us, is a plume."; lower left: "inv & s | WB"; lower right: "London: Pub. Mar. 22. 1797, by R. Edwards, 142, New Bond Street."
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1992.8.10(26)
Classification:
Prints
Collection:
Prints and Drawings
Subject Terms:
literary theme | religious and mythological subject | wings | river banks | river | grass | feathers | men | women | water | children | child