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1/ $YzY | The Story of Jerusalem Caveat: summarising William Blake inevitably oversimplifies. Overview William Blake’s Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion (written between 1804 and 1820) is a profound epic poem exploring humanity’s spiritual fall and redemption. Central to the narrative is Albion—the giant symbolising collective humanity—who, having rejected divine vision and love (symbolised by Jerusalem, his spiritual counterpart), has fallen into spiritual death. Blake, writing amidst the upheaval of industrialisation, war, and rigid religious institutions, crafted a complex mythology to express his critique of society and vision for human redemption. Main Characters & their Symbolism Albion, the Giant, is the primeval embodiment of Man. At the beginning, Albion is fallen or sleeping; he has rejected the divine vision of Jesus and cast out his emanation, Jerusalem. He is in the state called “Eternal Death” – a living death of the spirit. Jerusalem, Albion’s emanation, is effectively his soul or the feminine aspect of his being. She represents everything Albion could be if he were reunited with truth and love. Separated from Albion, Jerusalem undergoes suffering and obscurity. Los, the prophetic figure (a stand-in for Ye...*cough*... Blake or for the poetic imagination itself), labours throughout the poem to save Albion. Los stands for creative love and foresight; he is often described as building Golgonooza (a spiritual city) in the midst of Albion’s fallen realm. The plot involves Albion wandering in his fallen state, encountering the personifications of his errors (for example, the Spectre of Albion, which is his selfish rational selfhood, and characters named after biblical nations or concepts). Jerusalem the character often pleads or ministers unseen, embodying Albion’s remaining connection to the divine.