The Song of Los - Poem

Poem

The work begins with a title page image of an empty, dead world with an old man looking at the title of the work. The story of the work begins in Africa with Los singing of Adam, Noah, and Moses and how they were granted laws by Urizen. This involve abstractions being granted to Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato, gospel being given to Jesus, a bible for Mahomet, and a book on war given to Odin. These caused the world to fail, as they were chains that bound the mind:

Thus the terrible race of Los & Enitharmon gave
Laws & Religions to the sons of Har binding them more
And more to Earth: closing and restraining:
Till a Philosophy of Five senses was complete
Urizen wept & gave it into the hands of Newton & Locke (44-48)

In the second half of the work, Asia, Orc creates fires in the mind that causes kings to be startled and an apocalypse of sorts to start:

The Grave shrieks with delight, & shakes
Her hollow womb, & clasps the solid stem:
Her bosom swells with wild desirel
And mild & glandous wine
In rivers rush & shout & dance,
On mountain, dale and plain. (lines 59-63)

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