William Blake (1) (1757–1827)
Author of Songs of Innocence and of Experience
For other authors named William Blake, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
William Blake's poems, prophecies, and engravings represent his strong vision and voice for rebellion against orthodoxy and all forms of repression. Born in London in November 1757; his father, a hosier of limited means, could do little for the boy's education. However, when the young Blake's show more talent for design became apparent, his wise father sent him to drawing school at the age of 10. In 1771 Blake was apprenticed to an engraver. Blake went on to develop his own technique, a method he claimed that came to him in a vision of his deceased younger brother. In this, as in so many other areas of his life, Blake was an iconoclast; his blend of printing and engraving gave his works a unique and striking illumination. Blake joined with other young men in support of the Revolutions in France and America. He also lived his own revolt against established rules of conduct, even in his own home. One of his first acts after marrying his lifetime companion, Catherine Boucher, was to teach her to read and write, rare for a woman at that time. Blake's writings were increasingly styled after the Hebrew prophets. His engravings and poetry give form and substance to the conflicts and passions of the elemental human heart, made real as actual characters in his later work. Although he was ignored by the British literary community through most of his life, interest and study of his work has never waned. Blake's creativity and original thinking mark him as one of the earliest Romantic poets, best known for his Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794) and The Tiger. Blake died in London in 1827. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Thomas Phillips
Works by William Blake
Complete Writings with Variant Readings (Oxford Standard Authors Series) {Keynes, ed.} (1927) 417 copies
The complete poetry and selected prose of John Donne & the complete poetry of William Blake (1941) 184 copies
The Illuminated Blake: William Blake's Complete Illuminated Works with a Plate-by-Plate Commentary (1974) — Author — 167 copies
Blake's "America: A Prophecy" and "Europe: A Prophecy": Facsimile Reproductions of Two Illuminated Books (1983) — Author — 85 copies
An exhibition of the illuminated books of William Blake, poet, printer, prophet (1964) — Illustrator — 10 copies
The Poems of William Blake 8 copies
Blake: (1757-1827) with an introduction and notes by Geoffrey Keynes (The Pitman Gallery) (1949) — Artist — 7 copies
Selected Poems of William Blake 6 copies
WILLIAM BLAKE COMPLETE WORKS ULTIMATE COLLECTION 250 WORKS All Poetry, Poems, Prose, Annotations, Letters, Rarities… (2013) 6 copies
William Blake, 1757-1827 : le génie visionnaire du romantisme anglais : Petit Palais, musée des beaux-arts de la… (2008) 6 copies
Poems of William Blake (ed. Yeats) 5 copies
Llibres profetics de William Blake: Seleccio (Els Llibres de l'Escorpi : Poesia ; 33) (Catalan Edition) (1976) 5 copies
Ah Sunflower {poem} 4 copies
The Copperheads 4 copies
Blake's Grave; a prophetic book, being William Blake's illustrations for Robert Blair's The grave, arranged as Blake… (1963) — Illustrator — 4 copies
William Blake; an introduction 4 copies
The Little Black Boy 4 copies
The Sick Rose 4 copies
The poems: Comprising Songs of innocence and of experience, together with Poetical sketches and some copyright poems… (1874) 3 copies
William Blake. Tempera Paintings. A Critical Catalogue, With An Introduction By Geoffrey Keynes. William Blake Trust. (1951) 3 copies
Ægteskabet mellem himmel og helvede 3 copies
The Lamb 3 copies
Holes in the Texture of Time: A Reading of William Blake from Notebooks, Letters and Prophetic Works (Pickpockets) (1994) 3 copies
Poemas proféticos y prosas 2 copies
Poesía romántica inglesa 2 copies
A UNIÃO DO CÉU E DO INFERNO 2 copies
The Laurel Poetry Series Blake 2 copies
William Blake : selected engravings 2 copies
Libros proféticos, vol. 1 2 copies
Blake Poetry 2 copies
Poems of Blake 2 copies
Idle Laundress 2 copies
Blake's Illustrations of Dante 2 copies
Pencil Drawings 2 copies
Poetry 2 copies
Eight songs of William Blake 2 copies
Oeuvres II poèmes tirés de divers manuscrits, l'évangile éternel, les portes du paradis (1977) 2 copies
Poems ... Selected with an introduction by Alice Meynell. With a portrait (Red Letter Library.) 2 copies
Blake's Pencil Drawings 2 copies
Jerusalem. A simplified version prepared and edited with commentary and notes by William R. Hughes (1964) 2 copies
Works of William Blake. (100 Works) Incl: Songs of Innocence and Experience, Poetical Sketches, The Marriage of Heaven… (2007) 2 copies
Poesie 2 copies
Poems (Tod Ruthven ed.) 2 copies
The Canterbury Poets 1 copy
LIBRI PROFETICI W.Blake a cura di R.Sanesi con testo inglese a fronte - Tascabili Bompiani 400 ed.1986 (1986) 1 copy
Poesia & prosa selecionadas 1 copy
Eternity 1 copy
Bodas del cielo y el infierno ; El libro de Thel Tiriel ; Visiones de las hijas de Albión (2000) 1 copy
Seçme Şiirler 1 copy
William_Blake_-_Blake_Poems 1 copy
Without unceasing practice nothing can be done. Practice is art. If you leave off you are lost. 1 copy
The Temple of Mirth 1 copy
Jerusalem Part IV 1 copy
a selection of verses, blake 1 copy
Versek es Profeciak 1 copy
Poems of William Blake 1 copy
Engelen 1 copy
POESIA E PROSA SELECIONADAS 1 copy
Illustrations To The Bible 1 copy
William Blake's Illustrations of The Book of Job: (Illuminated Manuscript with the Original Illustrations of William… (2013) 1 copy
Spring 1 copy
Svět v zrnku písku 1 copy
Selections from the Writings of William Blake. With an introductory essay by Laurence Housman. L.P. (2010) 1 copy
Selected Poems 1 copy
Visioni di William Blake 1 copy
William Blake's engravings 1 copy
Poemas esenciales 1 copy
Le visioni 1 copy
The Centenary Edition of Blake's Poetry and Prose. Complete in One Volume. Thin Paper Edition. (1927) 1 copy
Poesie di William Blake 1 copy
A Famous Collection of Works by William Blake, the property of the late Graham Robertson, Esq. 1 copy
The Wild Flower's Song [from Three Songs of William Blake]: Low voice — Lyrics — 1 copy
Poems And Prophecies (Everyman's Library Classics) by William Blake (26-Sep-1991) Hardcover (1600) 1 copy
William Blake's Designs for Edward Young's "Night Thoughts": A Complete Edition Volumes I and II (1980) 1 copy
William Blake - The Poems 1 copy
William Blake 1757 - 1827 1 copy
Practice is art 1 copy
[Wood engravings of William Blake: Seventeen subjects commissioned by Dr. Robert Thornton for his Virgil of 1821] (1840) 1 copy
Uil'yam Bleik : Stikhi 1 copy
Los bosques de la noche: Poemas, canciones y epigramas (Coleccion La Cruz del Sur) (Spanish Edition) (2001) 1 copy
Nurse's Song [Innocence] 1 copy
Nurse's Song [Experience] 1 copy
Chaucer's Canterbury pilgrims,: Painted in fresco by William Blake & by him engraved and published October 8, 1810 (1810) 1 copy
Twenty-seven drawings by William Blake: Being Illustrations for Paradise Lost, Comus and The Bible 1 copy
The Baffled Devils Fighting 1 copy
Mrs. Q 1 copy
A letter from William Blake 1 copy
Poems Poèmes 1 copy
The Four Seasons 1 copy
52 poesie 1 copy
Writings, Vol. I 1 copy
Poems & Prose 1 copy
The act of creation 1 copy
Späte Liebe 1 copy
William Blake Antología poética: Selección de libros proféticos traducidos al español (Spanish Edition) (2017) 1 copy
The Complete Works of William Blake: 29 Books and Collections With Active Table of Contents (English Edition) (2014) 1 copy
Vahiy Kitaplari 1 copy
William Blake. Chants d'innocence et d'expérience : Traduit de l'anglais par M.-L. et Philippe… (1947) 1 copy
Czterej Zoa : męki miłowania i zazdrości, gdy umarł i był osądzony Albion pradawny człowiek (2006) 1 copy
Poems: Introduction by Patti Smith (Vintage Classics) by William Blake (1-Nov-2007) Paperback (1600) 1 copy
Water-color Drawings 1 copy
Poems by William Blake 1 copy
night 1 copy
The French Revolution 1 copy
Vjecno jevandjelje 1 copy
The land of dreams : poems 1 copy
POESIA ROMANTICA INGLESA 1 copy
Essential Blake 1 copy
The Everlasting Gospel 1 copy
Kehanet Kitapları I-II 1 copy
Fall of Rosamund 1 copy
Industrious Cottager 1 copy
Revd Robert Hawker, DD 1 copy
Christ Trampling Urizen 1 copy
Poems by Blake 1 copy
The French Revolution 1 copy
Oeuvres I 1 copy
Revd. John Caspar Lavater 1 copy
The Poems of William Blake: Comprising Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Together with Poetical Sketches and Some… (2015) 1 copy
Poems of, The 1 copy
The Wit's magazine 1 copy
POEMAS PROFETICOS Y PROSAS 1 copy
Poems of William Blake 1 copy
Associated Works
The Best Poems of the English Language: From Chaucer Through Robert Frost (2004) — Contributor — 1,042 copies
Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (1995) — Contributor, some editions — 915 copies
World Religions: From Ancient History to the Present (1983) — Cover artist, some editions — 692 copies
Night Thoughts: Or, the Complaint and the Consolation (1745) — Illustrator, some editions — 196 copies
The Graphic Canon, Vol. 2: From "Kubla Khan" to the Bronte Sisters to The Picture of Dorian Gray (2012) — Contributor — 183 copies
The Children's Treasury: Best Loved Stories and Poems from Around the World (1987) — Contributor — 148 copies
Out of the Best Books: An Anthology of Literature, Vol. 1: The Individual and Human Values (1964) — Contributor — 40 copies
Out of the Best Books: An Anthology of Literature, Vol. 2: Love, Marriage, and the Family (1966) — Contributor — 38 copies
Buzz Words: Poems About Insects (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets Series) (2021) — Contributor — 31 copies
The Roads from Bethlehem: Christmas Literature from Writers Ancient and Modern (1993) — Contributor — 29 copies
Out of the Best Books: An Anthology of Literature, Vol. 4: The World Around Us (1968) — Contributor — 29 copies
Kingfisher Christmas Book: A Collection of Stories, Poems and Carols for the Twelve Days of Christmas (1985) — Contributor — 27 copies
Neoclassicism and Romanticism, 1750-1850, Vol. 1: Enlightenment/Revolution (1970) — Contributor — 22 copies
Original Stories From Real Life; with Conversations, Calculated To Regulate the Affections and Form the Mind to Truth… (1788) — Illustrator, some editions — 20 copies
La poesía inglesa románticos y victorianos — Contributor — 4 copies
Das Leben nach dem Tod in den Weltreligionen — Cover artist, some editions — 1 copy
BBC Proms 2021 : Prom 41 : BBC Concert Orchestra & James McVinnie [programme] (2021) — Illustrator — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1757-11-28
- Date of death
- 1827-08-12
- Burial location
- Saint Paul's Cathedral, London, England, UK
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Country (for map)
- England, UK
- Birthplace
- Soho, London, England, UK
- Place of death
- Soho, London, England, UK
- Places of residence
- London, England, UK
- Education
- Royal Academy School
self-educated - Occupations
- poet
illustrator
engraver
painter
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Songs of Innocence and of Experience in Folio Society Devotees (December 21, 2023)
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Statistics
- Works
- 452
- Also by
- 77
- Members
- 17,820
- Popularity
- #1,235
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 151
- ISBNs
- 745
- Languages
- 24
- Favorited
- 152