“is this the Death Couch of Albion?/ Thou goest to Eternal Death & all must go with thee”
This Comment is in response to kathcal’s “The Necessity of Going Down.” This comment serves to add more support in terms of textual evidence to her argument. The passage that was assigned is in sync with kathcal’s statements on the sacrifice of autonomy in order to obtain oneness with God.
Milton, in his opening statements of the passage refers to the sacrifice of autonomy: “This is a false Body: an Incrustation over my Immortal Spirit; a Selfhood which must be put off.” Milton wishes to cast off his self-hood in order to become one with God–only attained through self-annihilation. He wishes to, in essence, be the impetus for a greater movement towards self-annihilation, to start a chain-reaction. He wishes to “to take off his filthy garments, & clothe him with Imagination.” In the passage he speaks to address a large scale of people that seem to shun his view of Imagination–he seeks to purify, to reveal.
It seems to Blake that the individual forms that we currently occupy–our self-hood–has made us quite…selfish (ha). He is calling for a global cleansing on the scale of the Last Judgment in order to bring about the New Jerusalem. Blake, through Milton, fears that the current generation is too corrupt and tainted–too concerned with false figures, rather than pure Imagination–to bring about the New Jerusalem: “These are the destroyers of Jerusalem, these are the murderers/ Of Jesus, who deny the Faith & mock at Eternal Life.” And connecting back to kathcal’s post, it ties closely with the spiritual calling others down to the river. His call for rebirth indeed mimics baptism–a “Regeneration.”
William Blake and Enlightenment Media 
I am glad you found more evidence in support of my argument in my previous post because I think these passages do illustrate the ways Blake imagines self-annihilation occurring: as a sacrifice of autonomy and a method of purification. I like that you don’t stop your discussion with the annihilation, however, and call it a regeneration because this transformation is a step to reaching God, not an end in itself.
I like how you characterize Milton as one who will “be the impetus for a greater movement towards self-annihilation.” Indeed, it seems that self-annihilation involves becoming a savior-like figure–the act of self-annihilation is a way to free and purify oneself but also a representative call to others to follow in suit. While the act is made on a personal level, its effects and urgings are meant for the collective. A unified regeneration can occur, quite ironically, only if people individually decide to seek and perform self-annihilation. Great post!
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