William Blake
/ˌwɪljəm ˈbleɪk/
/ˌwɪljəm ˈbleɪk/
- (1757-1827) an English artist and poet who from childhood claimed to have visions (= religious experiences like dreams) and talk to beings from heaven. He had a very personal style, full of religious symbols. He produced ‘illuminated books’ of his work, containing his poems and paintings to illustrate them, done by hand. The most famous of these is Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1794). His best-known poems are Jerusalem (1804) and The Tyger. He was very poor all his life, and is buried in London in a common grave. The biggest collection of his paintings is in Tate Britain.
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William Blake