The Poetry of William Blake

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The Poetry of William Blake

• A Presentation for
• English 2323
• Central Texas College
• Dr. Brenda Cornell

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Background

• Dates November 28, 1757-August 12, 1827
• Claims to fame English Poet, Painter,
  Printmaker, Religious Visionary, Songwriter
• Reputation Unappreciated in his lifetime
  considered today among the greatest Romantic
  poets appreciated as well for his visual
  artistry.

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Technique

• Blakes uniqueness lies in his blending of the
  visual and the literary art.
• A religious visionary, he believed that he was
  able to communicate with the Old Testament
  prophets, and his poetry and art show a strong
  affection for the Bible despite Blakes hostility
  toward the Church of England.

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Literary Works (partial list of illustrated works)

• Poetry with illustrations
• Songs of Innocence , 1789
• Songs of Experience, 1794
• The Book of Thel, 1789
• Milton A Poem, 1804-1811
• Prophetic Books
• The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, 1790-1794
• Jerusalem, the Emanation of the Giant Albion,
  1804-1820
• (William Blake. Greenblatt and Abrams)

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Illustrated (illuminated) works of other writers

• Mary Wollstonecraft, Original Stories from Real
  Life, 1791
• John Milton, Paradise Lost, 1808
• The Book of Job, 1823-1826
• Dante, The Divine Comedy, 1825-1827

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Paintings

• First oral report in English 2323,
• Spring semester ?

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Blakes Modern Influence

• In addition to his influence on writers and
  artists, Blake's role as a song-writer and as an
  exponent of sexual and imaginative freedom have
  made him an influential figure in popular
  culture, especially since the 1960s. Far more
  than the works of any other canonical writer,
  his songs have been set and adapted by popular
  musicians including U2, Van Morrison, Jah Wobble,
  Tangerine Dream, Bruce Dickinson, and Kathleen
  Yearwood. (William Blake. Wikipedia.com)

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Blakes Modern Influence (continued)

• Folk musicians, such as Bob Dylan and Allen
  Ginsberg have been influenced by him. The genre
  of the graphic novel traces its origins to
  Blake's etched songs and Prophetic Books.37
  Children's author Maurice Sendak and exponents
  such as Grant Morrison, Robert Crumb, and J.M.
  DeMatteis have all cited Blake as one of their
  major inspirations. (William Blake.
  Wikipedia.com )

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Works Cited

• Greenblatt, Stephen and M. H. Abrams, ed.
  William Blake. The Norton Anthology of English
  Literature. Volume II. 8th ed. NY Norton,
  2006. 76-79.
• William Blake. 27 January 2008.
  http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_BlakeIllumin
  ated_books