William Blake

Poems by William Blake

William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. What he called his 'prophetic works' were said by 20th-century critic Northrop Frye to form 'what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language'. While he lived in London his entire life, except for three years spent in Felpham, he produced a diverse and symbolically rich collection of works, which embraced the imagination as 'the body of God', or 'human existence itself'.

Although Blake was considered mad by contemporaries for his idiosyncratic views, he came to be highly regarded by later critics and readers for his expressiveness and creativity, and for the philosophical and mystical undercurrents within his work. His paintings and poetry have been characterised as part of the Romantic movement and as 'Pre-Romantic'. A theist who preferred his own Marcionite style of theology, he was hostile to the Church of England (indeed, to almost all forms of organised religion), and was influenced by the ideals and ambitions of the French and American Revolutions. Although later he rejected many of these political beliefs, he maintained an amicable relationship with the political activist Thomas Paine; he was also influenced by thinkers such as Emanuel Swedenborg. Despite these known influences, the singularity of Blake's work makes him difficult to classify. The 19th-century scholar William Michael Rossetti characterised him as a 'glorious luminary', and 'a man not forestalled by predecessors, nor to be classed with contemporaries, nor to be replaced by known or readily surmisable successors'.

Collaboration with his wife, Catherine Boucher, was instrumental in the creation of many of his books. Boucher worked as a printmaker and colorist for his works. 'For almost forty-five years she was the person who lived and worked most closely with Blake, enabling him to realize numerous projects, impossible without her assistance. Catherine was an artist and printer in her own right', writes literary scholar Angus Whitehead.

Poems

  • A Cradle Song Read Poem
  • A Divine Image Read Poem
  • A Dream Read Poem
  • A Little Boy Lost Read Poem
  • A Little Girl Lost Read Poem
  • A Poison Tree Read Poem
  • A Song of Liberty Read Poem
  • A War Song to Englishmen Read Poem
  • Ah! Sunflower Read Poem
  • America: A Prophecy - [1] Preludium Read Poem
  • America: A Prophecy - [2] A Prophecy Read Poem
  • An Imitation of Spenser Read Poem
  • Auguries of Innocence Read Poem
  • Blind Man's Buff Read Poem
  • Broken Love Read Poem
  • But in the Wine-presses the Human Grapes Sing not nor Dance Read Poem
  • Cradle Song Read Poem
  • Day Read Poem
  • Earth's Answer Read Poem
  • England! awake! awake! awake! Read Poem
  • Eternity Read Poem
  • Europe: A Prophecy [1] Read Poem
  • Europe: A Prophecy [2] Preludium Read Poem
  • Europe: A Prophecy [3] A Prophecy Read Poem
  • Fair Elanor Read Poem
  • For a Picture of the Last Judgement Read Poem
  • For the Sexes: the Gates of Paradise Read Poem
  • From Milton: And did those Feet Read Poem
  • From ‘Jerusalem’ Read Poem
  • Gnomic Verses: Great things are done Read Poem
  • Gwin King of Norway Read Poem
  • Hear The Voice Read Poem
  • Holy Thursday (Experience) Read Poem
  • Holy Thursday Innocence Read Poem
  • How Sweet I Roam'd Read Poem
  • I Asked A Thief To Steal Me A Peach Read Poem
  • I Heard an Angel Read Poem
  • I Rose Up at the Dawn of Day Read Poem
  • I Saw a Chapel Read Poem
  • I see the Four-fold Man Read Poem
  • If It Is True What the Prophets Write Read Poem
  • Infant Joy Read Poem
  • Infant Sorrow Read Poem
  • Introduction to the Songs of Innocence Read Poem
  • JERUSALEM—The Emanation of the Giant Albion: Chapter One Read Poem
  • JERUSALEM—The Emanation of the Giant Albion: Chapter Three Read Poem
  • JERUSALEM—The Emanation of the Giant Albion: Chapter Two Read Poem
  • Laughing Song Read Poem
  • London Read Poem
  • Long John Brown & Little Mary Bell Read Poem
  • Love and Harmony Read Poem
  • Love's Secret Read Poem
  • Mad Song Read Poem
  • Mary Read Poem
  • Milton: The Sky is an Immortal Tent Built by the Sons of Los Read Poem
  • Milton: [1] Preface Read Poem
  • Milton: [2] Book the First Read Poem
  • Milton: [3] Book the Second Read Poem
  • Mock On, Mock On, Voltaire, Rousseau Read Poem
  • My Pretty Rose Tree Read Poem
  • My Spectre Around Me Night and Day Read Poem
  • Never Seek to Tell thy Love Read Poem
  • Night Read Poem
  • Now Art Has Lost Its Mental Charms Read Poem
  • Nurses Song (Experience) Read Poem
  • On Anothers Sorrow Read Poem
  • Piping Down the Valleys Wild Read Poem
  • Preludium to America Read Poem
  • Preludium to Europe Read Poem
  • Proverbs of Hell (Excerpt from The Marriage of Heaven and H Read Poem
  • Samson Read Poem
  • Several Questions Answered Read Poem
  • Silent, Silent Night Read Poem
  • Song Read Poem
  • Song: Memory, hither come Read Poem
  • Song: When early morn walks forth in sober grey Read Poem
  • Spring Read Poem
  • The Angel Read Poem
  • The Angel that presided o'er my birth Read Poem
  • The Birds Read Poem
  • The Blossom Read Poem
  • The Book of Ahania: Chapter I Read Poem
  • The Book of Ahania: Chapter II Read Poem
  • The Book of Ahania: Chapter III Read Poem
  • The Book of Ahania: Chapter IV Read Poem
  • The Book of Ahania: Chapter V Read Poem
  • The Book of Thel Read Poem
  • The Book of Urizen: Chapter I Read Poem
  • The Book of Urizen: Chapter II Read Poem
  • The Book of Urizen: Chapter III Read Poem
  • The Book of Urizen: Chapter IV Read Poem
  • The Book of Urizen: Chapter IX Read Poem
  • The Book of Urizen: Chapter V Read Poem
  • The Book of Urizen: Chapter VI Read Poem
  • The Book of Urizen: Chapter VII Read Poem
  • The Book of Urizen: Chapter VIII Read Poem
  • The Book of Urizen: Preludium Read Poem
  • The Chimney - Sweeper Read Poem
  • The Chimney Sweeper Read Poem
  • The Clod and the Pebble Read Poem
  • The Crystal Cabinet Read Poem
  • The Divine Image Read Poem
  • The Echoing Green Read Poem
  • The Everlasting Gospel Read Poem
  • The Fairy Read Poem
  • The Fly Read Poem
  • The Four Zoas (excerpt) Read Poem
  • The Four Zoas: [1] Night the First Read Poem
  • The Four Zoas: [2] Night the Second Read Poem
  • The Four Zoas: [3] Night the Third Read Poem
  • The Four Zoas: [4] Night the Fourth Read Poem
  • The Four Zoas: [5] Night the Fifth Read Poem
  • The Four Zoas: [6] Night the Sixth Read Poem
  • The Four Zoas: [7] Night the Seventh Read Poem
  • The Four Zoas: [8] Night the Eighth Read Poem
  • The Four Zoas: [9] Night the Ninth Read Poem
  • The French Revolution: a Poem, In Seven Books—Book the First Read Poem
  • The Garden of Love Read Poem
  • The Golden Net Read Poem
  • The Grey Monk (excerpts) Read Poem
  • The Human Abstract Read Poem
  • The Invocation Read Poem
  • The Lamb Read Poem
  • The Land of Dreams Read Poem
  • The Lily Read Poem
  • The Little Black Boy Read Poem
  • The Little Boy Found Read Poem
  • The Little Boy Lost Read Poem
  • The Little Girl Found Read Poem
  • The Little Girl Lost Read Poem
  • The Little Vagabond Read Poem
  • The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (excerpt) Read Poem
  • The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: [1] The Argument Read Poem
  • The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: [2] The Voice of the Devil Read Poem
  • The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: [3] A Memorable Fancy Read Poem
  • The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: [4] Proverbs of Hell Read Poem
  • The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: [5] A Memorable Fancy Read Poem
  • The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: [6] A Memorable Fancy Read Poem
  • The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: [7] A Memorable Fancy Read Poem
  • The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: [8] A Memorable Fancy Read Poem
  • The Mental Traveller Read Poem
  • The New Jerusalem Read Poem
  • The Question Answered Read Poem
  • The Rhine Was Red. Read Poem
  • The Schoolboy Read Poem
  • The Shepherd Read Poem
  • The Sick Rose Read Poem
  • The Sky is an Immortal Tent Built by the Sons of Los (from Read Poem
  • The Smile Read Poem
  • The Song of Los Read Poem
  • The Two Songs Read Poem
  • The Tyger Read Poem
  • The Voice of the Ancient Bard Read Poem
  • The Wild Flower's Song Read Poem
  • Three Things to Remember Read Poem
  • Tiriel Read Poem
  • To Autum Read Poem
  • To Morning Read Poem
  • To Nobodaddy Read Poem
  • To See Read Poem
  • To Spring Read Poem
  • To Summer Read Poem
  • To The Accuser Who is The God of This World Read Poem
  • To the Evening Star Read Poem
  • To the Muses Read Poem
  • To Thomas Butts Read Poem
  • To Tirzah Read Poem
  • To Winter Read Poem
  • Visions of the Daughters of Albion Read Poem
  • When Klopstock England Defied Read Poem
  • Why Should I Care for the Men of Thames Read Poem
  • Why Was Cupid a Boy Read Poem
  • William Bond Read Poem
  • You Don't Believe Read Poem
  • Ah! Sun-flower Read Poem
  • The Chimney Sweeper: A little black thing among the snow Read Poem
  • The Chimney Sweeper: When my mother died I was very young Read Poem
  • The Ecchoing Green Read Poem
  • Holy Thursday: Is this a holy thing to see Read Poem
  • Holy Thursday: 'Twas on a Holy Thursday, their innocent faces clean Read Poem
  • Introduction to the Songs of Experience Read Poem
  • Jerusalem ["And did those feet in ancient time"] Read Poem
  • fromThe Marriage of Heaven and Hell:The Argument Read Poem
  • fromSeveral Questions Answered Read Poem
  • Song: How sweet I roam'd from field to field Read Poem
  • Song: My silks and fine array Read Poem
  • from Several Questions Answered Read Poem
  • from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: The Argument Read Poem