William Blake Quotation

[born_to_write]

Hello,

I've found a quote I want to use within something that I'm writing, but I have two problems. Firstly, everywhere I read the quote it's phrased slightly differently, and secondly, I can't find out the source so that I can reference it properly - all I know is that it is by William Blake.

This is the quote: "In the universe, there are things that are known and things that are unknown: between there are the doors"

I need to know the exact quote and from where it is taken - book - date etc.

Can anyone help? I've tried researching this and I'm getting no where!

Thanks

[Soup]

I can't seem to find it either.

One solution is to do what others have done: 'Blake is quoted as saying, "In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are ...'


_______________________
"There are things known and there are things unknown and in between are the Doors." (Unsourced Jim Morrison - Wikiquote)

[BobK]

I agree. (In fact, after a quick trawl around the internet and various hardcopy books of quotations, I'm not sure why born_to_write is so convinced that it is from Blake.)

b

[vil]

I'm not a teacher.

Hi born_to_write,

There are many William Blake’s quotes:

"He who desires but does not act, breeds pestilence."

"Then my verse I dishonor, my pictures despise, my person degrade and my temper chastise; and the pen is my terror, the pencil my shame; and my talents I bury, and dead is my fame."

"If the Sun and Moon should ever doubt, they'd immediately go out."

"The foundation of empire is art and science. Remove them or degrade them, and the empire is no more. Empire follows art and not vice versa as Englishmen suppose."

"When a sinister person means to be your enemy, they always start by trying to become your friend."

"Energy is an eternal delight, and he who desires, but acts not, breeds pestilence."

Blake is also quoted as saying, "In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors. ...

Blake focused on life and death issues, issues of good versus evil. The very title of his book, "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" could be a reference to the union between the Creation Goddess, and the Lord of the Dead. The "Doors" between "things known" and "things unknown" become wide open when there is a direct connection between the ruler of the underworld (Pluto) and the goddess of creation (Persephone.) And throughout Blake's works, you can find the ideas of damnation, and salvation, hell and heaven.

Chiron and Friends - William Blake

Regards,

V.

[born_to_write]

Hi,

so who is it you beleive the quote really belongs to then?

(I think Jim Morrison said something similar and "The Doors" is a tribute to Blake - but was Blake quoting someone else too then?)

[born_to_write]

Hello,

Thanks for your replies (I found that site too Vil); I may have to put `...is quoted as saying,` but I'd prefer to know if there is an actual text by Blake that contains it. I really wanted to be able to write the title and date if possible, or at least a date as it's not really good academic practice to quote something without referencing it too.

Thanks for the list of other Blake quotes, but it has to be that one as I'm intending to use the quote in the foreword to the novel I'm writing, so I really did want to know where it comes from!

If anyone does manage to find out do let me know!

Thanks again to everyone who has replied!

[BobK]

Originally Posted by born_to_write

Hi,

so who is it you believe the quote really belongs to then?

(I think Jim Morrison said something similar and "The Doors" is a tribute to Blake - but was Blake quoting someone else too then?)

No idea - and I've no reason to believe it was anyone else. But from my time working as a researcher for the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations I have a healthy cynicism for the words 'is quoted as saying', especially when the alleged quotation is adopted into the world of popular culture.

b

[Anglika]

If it is Blake, it seems very odd that a search on the Blake sites does not turn up the sentence. I spent ages looking for it, and came to the conclusion that someone rephrased something he did write.

[Tdol]

Aldous Huxley is quoted here with “There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception"

[Soup]

Originally Posted by born_to_write

Hello,

Thanks for the list of other Blake quotes, but it has to be that one as I'm intending to use the quote in the foreword to the novel I'm writing, so I really did want to know where it comes from!

That being the case, your best option, then, would be to contact the Humanities Department, or the like, in one of the universities in your area. Scholars have been known to be more than willing to help out in such situations as the one you find yourself in.