William Blake and His Memorable Career

      William Blake was a British poet, painter, visionary mystic, and engraver, who illustrated and printed his own books. Born in Soho, London on November 28, 1757 where he lived and spent most of his life. Throughout his young childhood years he also claimed to have visions of angles, monks, and God. His parents did not believe him when he would tell them his tales of paranormal activity, but the two observed that he was very different from his peers. Blake had a quite odd upbringing; he left school at the young age of ten, and for five years attended the Henry Pars Drawing Academy. At the age of twelve he began writing poetry and in 1783 printed his first collection of verses “Poetical Sketches”.

      Soon at age fourteen he found the art school to be very costly, this forced him to find a job. Even though he showed a great ability as a poet, his career was an engraver. He worked under engraver James Basire from 1772 to 1784 when he opened his own printing shop. The 80’s were indeed big years for him because in 1782 William Blake married Catherine Boucher, an illiterate woman who he taught to read and write.

      After the printing shop failed Blake had to make a scanty living as an engraver and an illustrator for magazines and books. Soon he created his first book, Songs of Innocence, which he finished in 1789. It is said that Blake created Songs of Innocence because of the visions he had of his brother Robert, after Robert’s death. It was not long before he also finished The Book of Thel and The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, two greatly respected works of philosophical ideas. He concluded his poetic works with Songs of Experience in 1794. Blake was influenced by the society he lived in and his disgust with that society, radical religious ideas, and drastic political issues is displayed through Songs of Innocence and Experience.

      Blake was preoccupied with good versus evil. History shows that he never stopped illustrating his philosophical and religious beliefs in his poetry, art, and engravings. Sadly, William Blake died at the age of sixty-nine on August 18, 1827, buried in an unmarked public grave. After his death his works became more prominent and Blake’s name more known. He is one of the most celebrated romantic poets, and his artistic legacy sill lives on today.