The Individual and the Collective in the Book of Thel

Some readers find themselves in the unenviable position of enjoying the act of sifting through layers and layers of complex symbolism, yet having exhausted The Revelation of Saint John. For these beleaguered souls, William Blake's The Book of Thel offers much-needed and highly esoteric sustenance. This work of poetry, besides its stunning aesthetic qualities, has been interpreted on any number of levels, and indeed, few of these could be described as definitively correct or incorrect.

Many have described Thel as a clash between "innocence" and "experience." These are irrevocably subjective words, however, and few commentators tell us precisely what Blake meant by "innocence and experience." It is the opinion of this writer that one angle of interpretation has been largely overlooked in discussions of the work - specifically, the relationship between the individual and society at large. It is the thesis of this essay that this aspect of The Book of Thel is best understood through the lens of one of Mr. Blake's most famous quotations: "I must Create a System, or be enslaved by another Man's." (Jerusalem, Plate 10, "The Word of Los")

It is interesting to note that the protagonist, Thel, is repeatedly referred to as a "Virgin." We have no reason to presume that Thel is not, literally, a virgin; and indeed, the poem is sometimes interpreted as Thel moving from actual, physical virginity into the sensual experiences of the world. Yet "virginity" is often used as a metaphor for the more general concept of innocence, and this interpretation fits well. Early on in the poem, Thel is innocent of worldly experience, and actually frightened by it's implications (i.e. death and disillusionment). What form this "innocence" takes is further illuminated by the rest of the poem - particularly, Thel's interactions with the Cloud and the Clod of Clay.

When Thel questions the Cloud, she demands to know why, despite its fleeting nature, it remains without complaint. The Cloud, for its part, reminds Thel that even in death, she will feed the eternal cycle of life: