Selected Classic Poems Audiobooks & Music from Amazon From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia William Blake (November 28,
1757 – August 12, 1827) was an English poet, visionary, painter,
and printmaker. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime,
Blake's work is today considered seminal and significant in the
history of both poetry and the visual arts. He was voted 38th in
a poll of the 100 Greatest Britons organized by the BBC in 2002.
According to Northrop Frye, who undertook a study of Blake's
entire poetic corpus, his prophetic poems form "what is in
proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the
English language." Others have praised Blake's visual artistry,
at least one modern critic proclaiming Blake "far and away the
greatest artist Britain has ever produced." Once considered mad
for his idiosyncratic views, Blake is highly regarded today for
his expressiveness and creativity, and the philosophical vision
that underlies his work. As he himself once indicated, "The
imagination is not a State