William Blake (1757–1827) was an English artist, engraver, mystical philosopher, visionary, and poet. His watercolors and engravings, like his writings, were appreciated fully only after his death. His poems denote the beginning of romanticism and a rejection of the Age of Enlightenment.
Blake was born in Soho, London, where he lived most of his life. His early childhood was dominated by spiritual visions that influenced his personal and working life. Instead of going to school, he was apprenticed to an engraver; there, he learned skills he was to use throughout his career as a poet.
In 1784, Blake set up a print shop, but the business struggled within a few years. For the rest of his life, Blake eked out a living as an engraver and illustrator. Blake always wrote out poems by hand on an engraving plate, rather than using type, engraved illustrations and hand-colored them—he was concerned with the presentation of his poetry as well as the words themselves.
Blake’s first book, Poetical Sketches, was published in 1783. He produced his most famous works, Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794,) by engraving both the words and the pictures on the same plate; this was his distinctive style. The Songs of Innocence are simple poems, written as if spoken by children. They are generally hopeful and optimistic. However, the Songs of Experience are also childlike in approach, but darker and more pessimistic. Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience had sold fewer than 20 copies in 30 years.
At the time of his death, Blake was an unknown figure, best remembered for his engravings of other peoples’ work, or perhaps for his one famous poem, “The Tyger.” Among those familiar with his life’s work, the consensus was that he was insane. It wasn’t until 30 years after his death that a husband-and-wife team, Alexander and Anne Gilchrist, published a two-volume biography of Blake that firmly established him as a brilliant and vital artist.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by William Blake
The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.
—William Blake
Topics: Friendship
The weak in courage is strong in cunning.
—William Blake
Topics: Cunning, Intelligence
I have no name: I am but two days old. What shall I call thee? I happy am, Joy is my name. Sweet joy befall thee!
—William Blake
Topics: Family, Babies
For Mercy has a human heart
Pity, a human face:
And Love, the human form divine,
And Peace, the human dress.
Then every man of every clime,
That prays in his distress,
Prays to the human form divine
Love Mercy Pity Peace.
—William Blake
Naught can deform the human race Like to the armor’s iron brace.
—William Blake
Topics: Man
That the Jews assumed a right exclusively to the benefits of God will be a lasting witness against them and the same will it be against Christians.
—William Blake
Topics: Judaism, Jews, Religion
I am really sorry to see my countrymen trouble themselves about politics. If men were wise, the most arbitrary princes could not hurt them. If they are not wise, the freest government is compelled to be a tyranny. Princes appear to me to be fools. Houses of Commons and Houses of Lords appear to me to be fools; they seem to me to be something else besides human life.
—William Blake
Topics: Politics, Politicians
Since all the riches of this world
May be gifts from the Devil and earthly kings,
I should suspect that I worshipp’d the Devil
If I thank’d my God for worldly things.
—William Blake
Topics: Simplicity
The forms of all things are derived from their genius.
—William Blake
To me this world is all one continued vision of fancy or imagination, and I feel flattered when I am told so. What is it sets Homer, Virgil and Milton in so high a rank of art? Why is the Bible more entertaining and instructive than any other book? Is it not because they are addressed to the imagination, which is spiritual sensation, and but immediately to the understanding or reason?
—William Blake
Topics: Imagination
Truth can never be told so as to be understood and not be believed.
—William Blake
Topics: Thought, Reason, Truth
The inquiry in England is not whether a man has talents and genius, but whether he is passive and polite and a virtuous ass and obedient to noblemen’s opinions in art and science. If he is, he is a good man. If not, he must be starved.
—William Blake
Topics: Respect, Respectability
The Goddess Fortune is the devil’s servant, ready to kiss any one’s ass.
—William Blake
Topics: Luck
Every Night and every Morn
Some to Misery are born.
Every Morn and every Night
Some are born to Sweet Delight,
Some are born to Endless Night.
—William Blake
Topics: Poverty
What is a wife and what is a harlot? What is a church and what is a theatre? are they two and not one? Can they exist separate? Are not religion and politics the same thing? Brotherhood is religion. O demonstrations of reason dividing families in cruelty and pride!
—William Blake
Topics: Society
Excessive sorrow laughs. Excessive joy weeps.
—William Blake
Topics: Sorrow, Sadness
When thou seest an eagle, thou seest a portion of genius; lift up thy head!
—William Blake
Topics: Animals, Birds
To generalize is to be an idiot. To particularize is the alone distinction of merit. General knowledge are those knowledge that idiots possess.
—William Blake
Want of money and the distress of a thief can never be alleged as the cause of his thieving, for many honest people endure greater hardships with fortitude. We must therefore seek the cause elsewhere than in want of money, for that is the miser’s passion, not the thief s.
—William Blake
Topics: Crime, Criminals
The child’s toys and the old man’s reasons are the fruits of two seasons.
—William Blake
Topics: Aging
Great things are done when men and mountains meet; this is not done by jostling in the street.
—William Blake
Topics: Challenges
Joys impregnate. Sorrows bring forth.
—William Blake
Topics: Sorrow, Sadness
The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. The opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.
—William Blake
Christianity is art and not money. Money is its curse.
—William Blake
Topics: Christians, Christianity
The bird, a nest; the spider, a web; man, friendship.
—William Blake
Topics: Friendship
Exuberance is beauty.
—William Blake
Topics: Passion, Enthusiasm, Beauty
The pride of the peacock is the glory of God.
—William Blake
Topics: Pride
The cut worm forgives the plow.
—William Blake
Topics: Forgiveness
When the sun rises, do you not see a round disc of fire somewhat like a guinea? O no, no, I see an innumerable company of the heavenly host crying Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.
—William Blake
Topics: Prophecy
Pay attention to minute particulars. Take care of the little ones. Generalization and abstraction are The plea of the hypocrite, scoundrel, and knave.
—William Blake
Topics: Hypocrisy
Energy is the only life, and is from the body; and reason is the bound or outward circumference of energy. Energy is eternal delight.
—William Blake
Topics: Health, Energy
The generations of men run on in the tide of time, but leave their destined lineaments permanent for ever and ever.
—William Blake
Topics: Generations
As a man is, so he sees. As the eye is formed, such are its powers.
—William Blake
Topics: Vision, Prophecy
The bird a nest
the spider a web
the human friendship.
—William Blake
Topics: Friendship
He who desires but acts not breeds pestilence.
—William Blake
Topics: Secrets of Success
Every harlot was a virgin once.
—William Blake
Topics: Innocence
Some say that happiness is not good for mortals, and they ought to be answered that sorrow is not fit for immortals and is utterly useless to any one; a blight never does good to a tree, and if a blight kill not a tree but it still bear fruit, let none say that the fruit was in consequence of the blight.
—William Blake
Topics: Sadness, Sorrow
What is the price of experience?. Do men buy it for a song?. Or wisdom for a dance in the street?. No, it is bought with the price of all the man hath, his house, his wife, his children.
—William Blake
Topics: Wisdom
Each man is haunted until his humanity awakens.
—William Blake
Topics: Humanity
What is now proved was only once imagined.
—William Blake
Topics: Imagination
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