After the death of his brother Robert, with whom he was very close, William Blake saw his “released spirit ascend heavenward through the matter-of-fact ceiling, ‘clapping its hands for joy,’”. But then, many of his contemporaries did consider him to be mad. [1]
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker who was born on 28 November 1757, one of seven children to James Blake, a hosier and his wife, Catherine.
Raised in a family of moderate means, Blake had a pleasant and peaceful childhood. He attended school only long enough to learn reading and writing, leaving at the age of 10 to be enrolled in drawing classes. From this time, he read avidly on subjects of his own choosing and began writing poetry. At 14 was apprenticed to a master engraver, being a good student of the craft.
In 1782, Blake married an illiterate woman named Catherine Boucher and taught her to read and write. Later, she helped him print the illuminated poetry for which he is remembered today. The couple were close and devoted to each other but there were no children.
He was a true eccentric – his work has mystical and philosophical elements, and in his life he was a radical, frequently disapproving of many forms of authority (such as the church, the army, royalty, and the government).
Blake was hardly known as a poet during his lifetime, but he is now considered one of the great English poets and an important figure in the Romantic movement (though in many ways it is hard to categorise Blake, who stands in a class all on his own). He believed that his poetry could be read and understood by common people but was determined not to sacrifice his vision in order to become popular.
I love the poems of innocence and experience, where he pairs various works, such as the chimney sweep poems, and the famous The Tyger and The Lamb poems. My favourite of all his works is his poem London which you can read here.
William Blake died on 12 August 1827 at age 69.
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