Biography: Blake before he was "Blake"

     Born in 1757, William Blake was just one from six children. He had two brothers and just one sister. The other two had died during Blake's young childhood. He was raised by a Hosiery merchant who owned and ran his shop on Broad Street. As a young boy, William Blake had an extensive imagination. He was considered too “different” for public school resulting in an education from home. His father was weird for his son in a social enviroment. From a young age he talked about spiritual visionary experiences which aren't usual for most people. When Blake was ten years old, he saw a tree filled with multiple angels from a simple stroll down the countryside.

     This happened to be the start of of what colored the rest of his life. When he turned eleven he had entered Par's Drawing School in the Strand Theater. He than began writing poetry a year later. In 1770, at age twelve, he claimed to have read Milton where he then started writing “Poetic Sketches”. His style of writing was considered unique because his ideas were new to the time period. At fourteen years old he took part in a seven year apprentice program to an engraver named James Basire. He got the chance to learn the craft of copy engraving at the end of the eighteenth century. This gave Blake an opportunity to paint, draw and express himself even though his family could not support him by any means of wealth. He was very much interested in painting and drawing, but his family could not afford it. Even though his family could not help their son financially they were extremely supportive of his ideas and dreams.

     In June of 1780 violent anti-Catholic demonstrations, and the Gordon Riots, spread through out the streets of London. On June 6^th, the third day into the riot, Blake was swept along into a large mob involuntary and witness the destruction of the Newgate Prison. That summer William and his friend Thomas strothard were mistaken as spies and arrested on the spot as they were walking to find an area to sketch. After a little explaining they were released.

     In 1789 he published the poems Songs of Innocence, that begins:

“Piping down the valleys wild
Piping songs of pleasant glee
On a cloud I saw a child
And he laughing said to me
Pipe a song about a Lamb
So I piped with merry cheer
Piper pipe that song again
So I piped, he wept to hear.”

Blake's childhood enabled him to foster his creative talents by supporting his artistic aptitudes. This led to the development of a world class artist, and effected romantic poetry.