Analyzing William Blake's "The Divine Image" Virtues

In his 1932 article, "An Interpretation of Blake's "'A Divine Image,'" Stephen Larrabee sees the poem as a contrast to "The Divine Image," comparing them line by line. It wasn't until 1959 that a critic examined Blake's "virtues of delight." In The Piper & the Bard: A Study of William Blake, Robert Gleckner delves into the psychological roots of Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love, identifying them as distinct virtues that form the "human form divine." Gleckner later compares "The Divine Image" with "The Human Abstract," highlighting the unity of humanity and divinity in the former against the fragmentation in the latter poem.

In Gleckner's critique, "A Divine Image" is deemed lacking in subtlety of theme when compared to "The Divine Image." Harold Bloom also analyzes the relationship between "The Divine Image" and "The Human Abstract" in his 1963 text, Blake's Apocalypse, suggesting that the former portrays a God represented by abstract qualities. Bloom further argues that the virtues in each poem reflect the selfish nature of humanity.

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It wasn't until E. D. Hirsch's 1964 assessment that "The Divine Image" gained proper recognition for its portrayal of the divinity within humanity and the human aspects of divinity in the Songs of Innocence and of Experience.

Hirsch suggests that Blake's selection of virtues reflects his alignment with God the Son (the New Testament God) rather than God the Father (the Old Testament God). In 1967, Sir Geoffrey Keynes analyzes the Songs of Innocence and of Experience, focusing on "The Divine Image." Keynes highlights the poem's theme of "the identification of man with God" (Plate 18) and interprets the plate's decoration - described as "a strange flame-like growth, half vegetable and half fire" (Plate 18) - as a symbol of human life.

Similarly, David J. Smith explores the parallels between "The Divine Image" and "A Divine Image" in his 1967 article titled "Blake's 'The Divine Image.'" Smith points out that the unspecified "A" in the title "A Divine Image" enables him to draw comparisons between the distant God depicted in that poem and the present God in "The Divine Image."

Smith further delves into the innocence of the poetic speaker in "The Divine Image," leading to a simplistic unity of virtues in the poem. John Holloway joins the discussion in his 1968 text, Blake: The Lyric Poetry, analyzing the diction and meter in comparison to hymns of the time. Holloway argues that the poem lacks visionary quality due to its precise construction, inviting reader response. In 1970, Eben Bass examines the flame-plant in "The Divine Image" and its connection to Blake's portrayal of humanity's contradictory states. Robert Gleckner adds to the discourse in 1977 with his note on "Blake and the Four Daughters of God."

Gleckner suggests that Blake's four virtues in "The Divine Image" may have been inspired by the allegory of the Four Daughters of God, with Truth and Justice replaced by Pity and Love to show unity between divinity and humanity. Leader, on the other hand, views "The Divine Image" as emphasizing God's transcendent and immanent nature, with Christ at the bottom and angelic figures at the top. Glen examines the poem as an exploration of prayer dynamics, comparing it to Alexander Pope's "The Universal Prayer."

Glen showcases how the structure of "The Divine Image" mirrors that of a scientific experiment, illustrating how the poem progresses from abstract virtues to their manifestation in human form divine. She also highlights the dual nature of Mercy and Pity, pointing out the inherent inequality within each. This idea resonates with Bloom's interpretation in Blake's Apocalypse. Stanley Gardner briefly references the plate in his 1986 text, Blake's Innocence and Experience Retraced.

Gardner and David Lindsay both explore the symbolic meanings behind William Blake's works. Gardner discusses how the design of a plate symbolizes Christian compassion, while Lindsay examines how "The Human Abstract" affects the virtues of "The Divine Image" by critiquing the idolatry of pity and mercy.

In his 1993 text, Witness against the Beast: William Blake and the Moral Law, E. P. Thompson highlights the significance of "The Divine Image" as the central point around which the Songs of Innocence revolve. Thompson discusses the theme of "egalitarian humanism" present in the poem, emphasizing the focus on human divinity rather than divine humanity. While acknowledging Blake's portrayal of the humanity of God the Son, Thompson argues that the poet does not elevate Christ above other moral beings who share in the same divine essence as well.