Art, Symbol & Imagination
America: The Preludium beneath the Tree
A great tree bends across the top and side of a block of handwritten verse. Human figures emerge among its branches and roots, while curling lines close the lower border. Blake’s Preludium integrates the poem’s opening encounter with an image of bodily and natural entanglement.
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Citation
William Blake. "America: The Preludium beneath the Tree" [editorial title]. In America: A Prophecy, William Blake. Undated supplied facsimile, undated edition. Source scan leaf 11. Lumitheca. /gallery/image/gallery-20261108-0268-0005
Source details
Editorial title and description. Source details from the Library catalogue.
A facsimile reproduction of William Blake’s illuminated book. Lettering and imagery are preserved together where they form a unified plate.
Sources
From the book
America: A ProphecyWilliam BlakeUndated editionMore from this book
America a Prophecy: The Illuminated Title
The Bound Winged Figure and the Children
The Crowned Figure, the Serpent and the SwordRelated illustrations
Cite this illustration
William Blake. America: The Preludium beneath the Tree. America: A Prophecy. Scan leaf 11. Lumitheca. https://lumitheca.com/gallery/image/gallery-20261108-0268-0005