CHAPTER IAn Analysis of the Methodological Approaches Taken with Regard to the Formal Literary Structure of The Four Zoas i The palimpsest manuscript of The Four Zoas has posed problems of considerable magnitude to scholars dealing with William Blake's writings. Developed from an earlier long work, Vala, and with two versions of night the Seventh, The Four Zoas contains unusual textual problems. These textual problems have contributed to the difficulties scholars face in providing a comprehensive critical commentary. In other terms, the structure of the poem has not been clearly established and consequently the parts not related convincingly to the whole. This dissertation aims to show that, even in palimpsest form, there is a clear structure which enables the parts to be seen in their particular relationship to each other and to the work. The unusual state of the manuscript means that both a comprehensive textual criticism and a critical commentary must be provided. In view of the formidable difficulties which have to be faced, there has been only one full length book published, and it seems 1 See H. M. Margoliouth ed., William Blake's Vala: Blake's Numbered Text [Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1956), Intro. XVIII; G. E. Bentley, Jr., William Blake: Vala or The Four Zoas: A Facsimile of the Manuscript, A Transcript of The Poem, and A Study Of It's Growth And Significance (Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1956) , Intro. XVIII ; G, E Bently, Jr. ,William Blake: Vala or The Four Zoas: A Facsimile of the Manuscript, A Transcript of The Poem, and A study of It's Growth and Significance (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1963) , Intro , passim. 2 Brian Wilkie , Mary Lynn Johnson , Blake's Four Zoas The Design of a Dream (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1978) . Wilkie Johnson's discussion of the two versions of Night the Seventh has particular clarity, pp. 239-241, 271-273.
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