William Blake, (born Nov. 28, 1757, London, Eng.—died Aug. 12, 1827, London), English engraver, artist, poet, and visionary, author of exquisite lyrics in Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794) and profound and difficult “prophecies,” such as Visions of the Daughters of Albion (1793), The First Book of Urizen(1794), Milton (1804[–?11]), and Jerusalem (1804[–?20]). All of these works he etched, printed, coloured, stitched, and sold, with the assistance of his devoted wife, Catherine.
Among his best known lyrics today are “The Lamb,” “The Tyger,” “London,” and the “Jerusalem” lyric from Milton, which has become a kind of second national anthem in Britain.
In the mid 20th century, Blake was regarded as the earliest and most original of the Romantic poets, but in his lifetime he was generally neglected or dismissed as mad.
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