The speaker of "Jerusalem" looks forward to a new era, but also backwards to an "ancient time." He wonders if Jesus ever visited England, and if Jerusalem was once built there. While the speaker isn't quite sure if this ever actually happened (the "past" he imagines is more legend than anything), it's almost like he wants to imagine that it did. That way he can imagine a future that repeats the past (if you can follow that logic). The past the speaker talks about is peaceful, holy, and magical proof that England's "clouded hills" were once full of divine light and grace. Far out.
Questions About Memory and the Past
- Does the speaker really think the past was a better time than the present? How can you tell?
- Is the speaker just being foolishly nostalgic? What parts of the poem support your answer?
- Does the speaker just want the future to repeat the past, or does he want to take the past as a model and expand upon it? How can you tell?
- Do the speaker's questions suggest that maybe he doesn't really believe the past happened the way he suggests it did? What other parts of the poem support your ideas?
Chew on This
The poem is made up of a lot of questions, like… a lot. This suggests that we can never really truly know the past, even though we may think we do.
The past is important for the speaker because it's a model or template… or blueprint for the future. Jerusalem was perhaps already built once, and can be built again.