10 things to know about William Blake

[dragon117]

Yes, he wrote the words to 'Jerusalem' and inspired rockers like The Doors and Van Morrison. But as London marks William Blake's 250th birthday, how much do you really know about the painter, poet, mystical outsider and son of the city?

[dragon117]

1. Apart from a brief spell in West Sussex, Blake, born in Soho in November 1757, lived his life in various homes in the capital, both north and south of the river. Only 17 South Molton Street, however, has survived the demolition ball.

[dragon117]

2. A contemporary of Wordsworth and Coleridge, his poetry is taught in schools in works such as 'The Tyger' from his Songs of Innocence and Experience, causing children over the years to complain about the rubbish rhyme of "what immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry".
to be continued

[rpace]

I know Blake would have been smart enough to limit himself to one thread on a forum when discussing one thing.

~R

[SoufMeng]

...?..!?,? (http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/11/27/william_blake_anniversary_feature.shtml)

[Elwell]

I know Blake would have been smart enough to limit himself to one thread on a forum when discussing one thing.

~R

Indeed. Merged.

So, even though this thread was started as spam (there was a spamlink in the signature), since Blake is cool and there wasn't already a thread about him, let's make spaminade.

Blake on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blake)

The Blake Archive (http://www.blakearchive.org/blake/) (all the works, a detailed biography, background info, and more)

The Tyger

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare sieze the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?


Jerusalem

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire.

I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.

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[Black Spot]

Gosh, I didn’t even check the other threads, just read the one earlier where rpace had replied, assumed dragon117 had had a refresh problem.

Blake is indeed very interesting and somewhat scary at times. I only his works and have only read a little bit about the chap’s character or life, most which has escaped me for the moment, but some his quotes speaks volumes.

[rpace]

One of the sad notes about Blake is how much of his erotic/religious/political private work was destroyed by the man appointed to oversee and catalogue the collection.
I read a very good book about this a few years back. Can't see it on my shelves at the moment -- think the title was Why Mrs. Blake Cried. I'll try to track it down. . .

Looks like it's out of print in North America -- link
(http://www.amazon.com/Why-Mrs-Blake-Cried-Imagination/dp/184595128X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229295381&sr=8-1). Worth checking to see if a local library has it, though.

~R

[Dadaist]

He was friend of John Flaxman, another great artist who did some lovely illustratations for The Divine Comedy. And he shares my opinion that Paradise Lost starts losing steam towards the end.