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
The pure soul shall mount on native wings, . . . and cut a path into the heaven of glory.
Why a tender curb upon the youthful burning boy? Why a little curtain of flesh on the bed of our desire?
God keep me from the divinity of Yes and Nothe Yea Nay Creeping Jesus, from supposing Up and Down to be the same thing as allexperimentalists must suppose.
Nature has no outline. Imagination has.
A tyrant is the worst disease, and the cause of all others.
I am under the direction of messengers from Heaven daily and nightly.
The child's toys and the old man's reasons are the fruits of two seasons.
But most thro' midnight streets I hear How the youthful Harlots curse Blasts the new-born Infants tear And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse
Every mortal loss is an immortal gain.
Think not thou canst sigh a sigh And thy maker is not by; Think not thou canst weep a tear And thy maker is not near.
Can I see a falling tear, And not feel my sorrow's share?
In every cry of every man, In every infant's cry of fear, In every voice, in every ban, The mind-forg'd manacles I hear.
He who has few things to desire cannot have many to fear.
The lust of the goat is the bounty of God.