For the Sexes: The Gates of Paradise

5r William Blake. Composed 1793, revised c. 1818. Modern Reprint.

Notes

This reprint has reproductions of all of William Blake’s original illustrations on the right and a transcription in English on the left

William Blake’s For the Sexes: The Gates of Paradise is a short, illustrated poetic work completed around 1818, serving as a continuation and revision of his earlier work The Gates of Paradise (1793). Combining text and emblematic engravings, the piece reflects Blake’s visionary and symbolic style, exploring themes of spiritual awakening, the human condition, and the duality of innocence and experience. The title suggests a contemplation of both male and female aspects of the soul, emphasizing transformation through suffering, perception, and inner struggle. The work features a series of emblematic plates accompanied by brief poetic captions, each presenting a scene of existential or metaphysical significance. Blake uses these images and verses to depict the soul’s journey from material entrapment toward spiritual liberation. For the Sexes is deeply rooted in Blake’s mythopoetic system and reflects his critique of institutional religion and rationalism, offering instead a vision of divine imagination and inner renewal.

Description

Green Cloth binding with ornate gilt designs and lettering on upper and lower boards as well as the spine. Red fore edge. Custom slipcase. Illustrations throughout.