1. William Blake

2. Background Formal education was in art Was apprenticed to an engraver
Married Catherine Boucher when he was 24
Taught her to read and write
She helped him with his engraving and printing
They seem to have had a difficult marriage later in life
They had no children

3. Inspiration and Difficulty
Blake enjoyed the patronage of William Haley
Haley often tried to manipulate Blake’s work and career
Blake grew frustrated with Haley’s interference and rebelled
Blake defended the honor of his wife from a local man, John Schofield
Blake was accused of treasonous statements against the Crown but was acquitted
Blake’s life was forever influenced by the use of negative characters patterned after Schofield and his friends

4. Career
Poetical Sketches was Blake’s only book traditionally typeset and printed
In 1788, Blake began what he called “illuminated printing” and designed his own books, including illustrations to complement each poem
The books were custom made, printed, bound, and stitched together with the assistance of his wife
Blake’s income was primarily from illustrating the works of others; his personal work was not appreciated until the 20th century

5. Philosophy Blake’s poetry should be read with his illustrations
Blake created a personal mythology to explain his beliefs:
“I must Create a System or be enslaved by another Man’s”
Blake stated “all he knew was in the Bible” – he was very familiar with both the Old and New Testaments, including creating, the fall, salvation, and belief in the restoration of Eden

6. Blake’s Mythology
Blake believed in a “Universal Man” who is God as well as a part of the universe
Blake believed the “fall” was actually the fall of man from man in the desire to “find himself” and be self-sufficient
Blake stated that the fallen world moves through cycles that alternated between getting closer and farther away from Redemption
In the end, the apocalypse brings man back to his undivided form – his “Resurrection to Unity”
It is important to understand this concept – that man is God who has fallen into his present state while trying to find who he is. Ultimately, man will be redeemed by being unified with the rest of mankind.
Blake takes many of the concepts of the Bible and slants them to focus on man, his personal desires, and a lack of dependence or belief in a Holy God. Blake’s belief systems becomes a form of humanism that has Christian overtones but is actually all about man and his need for self-sufficiency. Once that self-sufficiency is found, man will be reborn into the form he has the potential to be.

7. The Night of Enitharmon's Joy, 1795
The Night of Enitharmon's Joy, Blake's vision of Hecate, Greek goddess of black magic and the underworld

8. Blake's The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with Sun (1805) is one of a series of illustrations of Revelation 12

9. Blake's The Lovers' Whirlwind illustrates Hell in Canto V of Dante’s Inferno

10. Ancient of Days