Blake's Biography

William Blake was a poet and a painter, and born in London on November 28, 1757. His father’s name was James and his mother’s name was Catherine Blake. As a young child, Blake claimed that he saw God and angels. His parents kept him at home, and Blake taught himself to read and write. When he got a little bit older, Blake decided that he wanted to go to an art school where he learned how to paint. When Blake turned fourteen he had to give up art school and started working with poetry. In 1782, Blake married Catherine Boucher. They never had children, but he taught her to read and write so that she could work together with him and print his work. Blake also asked for help from his brother Robert, but Robert got sick and died shortly after. His wife and he continued printing his work with copper plates and finishing all of his paintings with water colors. Blake claimed that he saw his brother’s spirit rise from the body, clapping to him, and rises through the ceiling. Later on he published “Songs of Innocence“, in 1789 and then in 1794, “Songs of Experience”. In both of Blake’s poetry and paintings, he repeatedly showed that he favored imagination over reason to rebel against “18^th-century neoclassical conventions”. In 1800, Blake moved to Felpham for three years and taught him self Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Italian so that he could read from original writing. Blake wanted to become popular and wanted common people to be able to read his poetry. Blake held exhibits of his paintings, and some thought his paintings were hideous and often times called Blake insane. His poetry was not locally known, but other well known poets had read his work and even called him a generous. The remainder of Blake’s life was in poverty. A group of younger artists marveled Blake’s work and they called themselves “The Ancients”. Blake met John Linnell in1818 who helped Blake financially and helped motivate Blake to finish the cycle of drawing before he died, which he did in 1827.