Ruin the sacred truths : poetry and belief from the Bible to the present

217 Pages·1989·6.62 MB·English

by  Bloom

RUIN
thu
SACRED
TRUTHS
The Charles Eliot Norton
Lectures 1987-88
the Argument
Held me awhile misdoubting his Intent,
That he would ruin (for I saw him strong)
The sacredTruths to Fable and Old Song
Andrew Marvell, "On ParadiseLost"
Harvard University Press
Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London, England
RUI N
the-J
SACRED
TRUTHS
~ Poetry and Belief ~
from the Bible to the PresenL
HAROLD BLOOM
Copyright© 1987,1989byHaroldBloom
Allrightsreserved
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
109876543
FirstHarvardUniversityPresspaperbackedition,1991
LibraryofCongressCatalogNumber88-021651
ISBN0-674-78027-2 (alk. paper) (cloth)
ISBN0-674-78028-0(paper)
DesignedbyGwenFrankfeldt
ForJonathan Spence

Preface-;
Thisbookccnsistsofanexpandedtextofthe1987-88Charles
Eliot Norton Lectures at Harvard University.
I am grateful to Marjorie Garber, Kathryne Lindberg,
Robert andJana Kiely, Cresap and SallyMoore, LucyBoling,
Victoria Macy, Edison Miyawaki, and Betty McNally for
the kindness of their hospitality during the academic year
1987-88.
HaroldBloom
Cambridge) Massachusetts
March 1988

I
THE HEBREW BIBLE 1
II
FROM HOMERTO DANTE 25
III
SHAKESPEARE 51
IV
MILTON 89
V
ENLIGHTENMENTAND
ROMANTICISM 115
VI
FREUD AND BEYOND 143