William Blake Biography

William Blake, Poet
Occup.Poet
FromEngland
SpouseCatherine Boucher
BornNovember 28, 1757
London, England
DiedAugust 12, 1827
London, England
Aged69 years
William Blake was an amazing English artist, poet, and mystic, born upon November 28, 1757, in London, England. The third of 5 children, Blake was raised in a passionate Christian household and had adequate direct exposure to the Bible from a young age. This spiritual impact is evident in his art and poetry, which he began creating at a very early age.

As a child, Blake had visions of angels and macabre monks that amazed and also frightened him. Nonetheless, he believed in the extension of life after fatality as well as was understood for his spiritual as well as philosophical ideas. Blake's parents acknowledged his imaginative ability and urged him to go after an artistic profession by registering him at a drawing college run by caricaturist, Henry Pars, at the age of ten. Four years later on, he was apprenticed to an engraver, James Basire, for 7 years. Throughout his apprenticeship, Blake had the chance to study middle ages art, which came to be a substantial impact in his later job.

In 1783, at the age of 25, Blake met as well as wed Catherine Boucher, that played a vital role in his work as a colorist, printer, and also supporter throughout their life together. Around the same time, he published his very first collection of verse, "Poetical Sketches". Blake's growing interest in the convergence of spiritual and also creative expression caused the growth of his "illuminated printing" method, an approach of using message as well as pictures simultaneously onto copper plates. This method was used in a number of his popular works, such as "Songs of Innocence as well as Experience" (1794) and "The Marriage of Heaven as well as Hell" (1790).

Blake's connection with prominent figures of the moment greatly impacted his imaginative and philosophical development. He was personally familiarized with the philosopher Thomas Paine as well as the musician John Flaxman. Additionally, he was attracted to the job of the visionary poet and musician, Henry Fuseli. The concepts derived from the French as well as American Revolutions, as well as the works of Emanuel Swedenborg, significantly influenced Blake's beliefs in personal freedom and spiritual growth.

Throughout his life, Blake experienced monetary battles as well as mistreatment for his radical views on religious beliefs and politics. In spite of this, he stayed devoted to his craft as well as remained to create intricate masterpieces and also poetry that revealed a profound understanding of the human experience.

In his last years, Blake was tormented by disease but stayed energetic in his imaginative pursuits. He remained to work with engravings and also began a collection of illustrations for Dante's "Divine Comedy". William Blake died on August 12, 1827, at the age of 69, leaving a considerable body of job that is commemorated for its distinct vision as well as revolutionary method to artistic expression.

In the years following his death, Blake's work gained recognition among the Pre-Raphaelites and also later by Modernists, consequently amassing an enduring gratitude for his innovative and also magical contributions to the arts and also literary works. Today, William Blake is hailed as a visionary poet and also musician, whose imaginative genius has left an indelible mark on the world of art as well as literary works.

Our collection contains 67 quotes who is written / told by William.

Related authors: Philo (Philosopher), Harold Bloom (Critic), Jim Morrison (Musician), Hans Magnus Enzensberger (Author), Thomas Paine (Writer), Emanuel Swedenborg (Scientist), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Henry Fuseli (Artist)

William Blake Famous Works:
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67 Famous quotes by William Blake

Small: Excessive sorrow laughs. Excessive joy weeps
"Excessive sorrow laughs. Excessive joy weeps"
Small: Active Evil is better than Passive Good
"Active Evil is better than Passive Good"
Small: A truth thats told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent
"A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent"
Small: A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees
"A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees"
Small: Every harlot was a virgin once
"Every harlot was a virgin once"
Small: Fun I love, but too much fun is of all things the most loathsome. Mirth is better than fun, and happine
"Fun I love, but too much fun is of all things the most loathsome. Mirth is better than fun, and happiness is better than mirth"
Small: For everything that lives is holy, life delights in life
"For everything that lives is holy, life delights in life"
Small: Better murder an infant in its cradle than nurse an unacted desire
"Better murder an infant in its cradle than nurse an unacted desire"
Small: What is grand is necessarily obscure to weak men. That which can be made explicit to the idiot is not w
"What is grand is necessarily obscure to weak men. That which can be made explicit to the idiot is not worth my care"
Small: Travelers repose and dream among my leaves
"Travelers repose and dream among my leaves"
Small: The true method of knowledge is experiment
"The true method of knowledge is experiment"
Small: The fool who persists in his folly will become wise
"The fool who persists in his folly will become wise"
Small: The eye altering, alters all
"The eye altering, alters all"
Small: The difference between a bad artist and a good one is: the bad artist seems to copy a great deal the go
"The difference between a bad artist and a good one is: the bad artist seems to copy a great deal; the good one really does"
Small: The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship
"The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship"
Small: That the Jews assumed a right exclusively to the benefits of God will be a lasting witness against them
"That the Jews assumed a right exclusively to the benefits of God will be a lasting witness against them and the same will it be against Christians"
Small: Prudence is a rich, ugly, old maid courted by incapacity
"Prudence is a rich, ugly, old maid courted by incapacity"
Small: Prisons are built with stones of Law. Brothels with the bricks of religion
"Prisons are built with stones of Law. Brothels with the bricks of religion"
Small: Poetry fettered, fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetr
"Poetry fettered, fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetry, painting, and music are destroyed or flourish"
Small: Opposition is true friendship
"Opposition is true friendship"
Small: Great things are done when men and mountains meet
"Great things are done when men and mountains meet"
Small: To the eyes of a miser a guinea is more beautiful than the sun, and a bag worn with the use of money ha
"To the eyes of a miser a guinea is more beautiful than the sun, and a bag worn with the use of money has more beautiful proportions than a vine filled with grapes"
Small: To see the world in a grain of sand, and to see heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of y
"To see the world in a grain of sand, and to see heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hands, and eternity in an hour"
Small: To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palms of your hand a
"To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palms of your hand and eternity in an hour"
Small: To generalize is to be an idiot
"To generalize is to be an idiot"
Small: Those who restrain their desires, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained
"Those who restrain their desires, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained"
Small: Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night
"Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night"
Small: The weak in courage is strong in cunning
"The weak in courage is strong in cunning"
Small: The tigers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction
"The tigers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction"
Small: The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom"
Small: If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise
"If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise"
Small: You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough
"You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough"
Small: The man who never in his mind and thoughts traveld to heaven is no artist
"The man who never in his mind and thoughts travel'd to heaven is no artist"
Small: Imagination is the real and eternal world of which this vegetable universe is but a faint shadow
"Imagination is the real and eternal world of which this vegetable universe is but a faint shadow"
Small: When I tell the truth, it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake
"When I tell the truth, it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those that do"
Small: Where mercy, love, and pity dwell, there God is dwelling too
"Where mercy, love, and pity dwell, there God is dwelling too"
Small: The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in th
"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity... and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself"
Small: The man who never alters his opinions is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind
"The man who never alters his opinions is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind"
Small: The foundation of empire is art and science. Remove them or degrade them, and the empire is no more.
"The foundation of empire is art and science. Remove them or degrade them, and the empire is no more. Empire follows art and not vice versa as Englishmen suppose"
Small: Man has no Body distinct from his Soul for that called Body is a portion of Soul discerned by the five
"Man has no Body distinct from his Soul; for that called Body is a portion of Soul discerned by the five Senses, the chief inlets of Soul in this age"
Small: What is a wife and what is a harlot? What is a church and what is a theatre? are they two and not one?
"What is a wife and what is a harlot? What is a church and what is a theatre? are they two and not one? Can they exist separate? Are not religion and politics the same thing? Brotherhood is religion. O demonstrations of reason dividing families in cruelty and pride!"
Small: No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings
"No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings"
Small: One thought fills immensity
"One thought fills immensity"
Small: If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite
"If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite"
Small: If a thing loves, it is infinite
"If a thing loves, it is infinite"
Small: I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not,
"I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow"
Small: I must create a system or be enslaved by another mans I will not reason and compare: my business is to
"I must create a system or be enslaved by another mans; I will not reason and compare: my business is to create"
Small: I have no name: I am but two days old. What shall I call thee? I happy am, Joy is my name. Sweet joy be
"I have no name: I am but two days old. What shall I call thee? I happy am, Joy is my name. Sweet joy befall thee!"
Small: I am in you and you in me, mutual in divine love
"I am in you and you in me, mutual in divine love"
Small: He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star
"He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star"
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