William Blake
William Blake
William Blakewas an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. His prophetic works have been said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language". His visual artistry led one contemporary art critic to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced". In...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth28 November 1757
Why cannot the ear be closed to its own destruction? Or the glistening eye to the poison of a smile?
O God, protect me from my friends, that they have not power over me. Thou hast giv'n me power to protect myself from thy bitterest enemies.
Such, such were the joys When we all, girls and boys, In our youth time were seen On the Echoing Green.
The Woman that does not love your Frowns Will never embrace your smiles.
Come o'er the eastern hills, and let our winds Kiss thy perfumed garments; let us taste Thy morn and evening breath; scatter thy pearls Upon our love-sick land that mourns for thee.
Joy and woe are woven fine, A clothing for the soul divine. Under every grief and pine Runs a joy with silken twine.
Embraces are comminglings from the head even to the feet, And not a pompous high priest entering by a secret place.
Innocence dwells with Wisdom, but never with ignorance...
I have conversed with the spiritual Sun. I saw him on Primrose Hill
The world of imagination is the world of eternity.
Gratitude, in itself, is heaven.
A dog starved at his master's gate Predicts the ruin of the state.
I cry, Love! Love! Love! happy happy Love! free as the mountain wind!
The look of love alarms Because 'tis filled with fire; But the look of soft deceit Shall sin the lover's hire.