William Blake (English Poet & Painter 1757 - 1827)

William Blake (1757-1827)

William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. From early childhood, Blake spoke of having visions -- at four he saw God "put his head to the window" - around age nine, while walking through the countryside, he saw a tree filled with angels. He would later claim that he had regular conversations with his deceased brother Robert...

Once considered mad for his idiosyncratic views and largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake's work is today considered seminal and significant in the history of both poetry and the visual arts. As an artist Blake admired and studied the works of Raphael, Heemskerk, Dürer, and Michelangelo, who would become important influences to the fantastic and at times apocalyptic illustrations he created for his own writings and others’.

Blake's first collection, Poetical Sketches, appeared in 1783. He published his most popular collection, Songs of Innocence, in 1789 and followed it, in 1794, with Songs of Experience. He'd also -- as stated above -- undertaken the task of creating the engravings that would illustrate his poetry. His highly detailed illustrations often focus on parts of the human anatomy or fantastically imaginative creatures surrounded by various natural forms. Blake's prophetic poetry has been said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the language." His visual artistry has led one modern critic to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced."

A Little Boy Lost

By William Blake
'Nought loves another as itself,
Nor venerates another so,
Nor is it possible to thought
A greater than itself to know.

'And, father, how can I love you
Or any of my brothers more?
I love you like the little bird
That picks up crumbs around the door.'

The Priest sat by and heard the child;
In trembling zeal he seized his hair,
He led him by his little coat,
And all admired his priestly care.

And standing on the altar high,
'Lo, what a fiend is here!' said he:
'One who sets reason up for judge
Of our most holy mystery.'

The weeping child could not be heard,
The weeping parents wept in vain:
They stripped him to his little shirt,
And bound him in an iron chain,

And burned him in a holy place
Where many had been burned before;
The weeping parents wept in vain.
Are such things done on Albion's shore?

The Garden of Love

By William Blake
I went to the Garden of Love.
And saw what I never had seen:
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.

And the gates of this chapel were shut,
And Thou shalt not, writ over the door;
So I turn'd to the Garden of Love,
That so many sweet flowers bore,

And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tomb-stones where flowers should be:
And Priests in black gowns, were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars my joys and desires.

A Poison Tree

By William Blake
I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears
Night and morning with my tears,
And I sunned it with smiles
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright,
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine -

And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning, glad, I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

Europe Supported By Africa and America (1796)

About Europe Supported By Africa and America
This illustrated version of the visionary Blake engraving offers colonial dialogue as a potential dance among equals. Blake was opposed to slavery and the bright gold bands on Africa and America are symbols of enslavement. "While one hand of Europe limply holds the rope that links the three continents, the other more rigorously grasps the hand of the African in sisterly equality. This was a dramatic innovation in the concept of the relationship between the continents, reflecting Blake's abolitionist perspective."

MsJacquiiC · #1 04-21-2008, 01:46 AM

Quote:

I went to the Garden of Love.
And saw what I never had seen:
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.

Tribute.

And he is truly gifted. Flying flags of freedom,
equality reigning down as if angel feathers.
And he is truly gifted. Waving prophesy around
like One Ancient God roaming the countryside,
glancing to and fro, admiring His creation. Gifts
of poetic love falling at his feet. Yay - that I
may perchance to reach down and pick one up!

Happy National Poetry Month.

MsJacquiiC · #2 04-21-2008, 01:50 AM

I've heard Blake quoted again and again - now I know why - I think I was through when I saw the Europe Supported By Africa and America and learned of Blake's REVOLUTIONARY abolitionist/freedom stance. Here's a man way before his time making such freedom statements, poetic prophesy & calls for TRUE freedom! Simply an amazing talent - an Amazing Man! Hope YAWL enjoy the bio and the few pieces of his poetry I posted

Jacquii.

New To JPiC Forum?	JPiC Forum Network	Need Assistance?
Register to Participate Meet The JPiC Moderating Team View Forum Leaders Review The JPiC Posting Policy Privacy Statement View Our Terms of Service New Member Introductions RSS RSS 2.0 XML	ArticleGalleryOnline.com Poetry-Defined.com AllPoetryVids.com InfinityGamesGallery.com GreetingsGalleryOnline.com WobbleWobble.net BOOKMARK JPiC FORUM	Frequently Asked Questions Link To JPiC On Your Website Did You Forget Your Password? Support Tickets: JPiC Help Center View JPiC Video Tutorials Contact The JPiC Administrator Mark Forums Read ADVERTISE SITE MAP DONATE