William Blake Research Paper

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William Blake was a writer and artist during the 19th century. His writing and illustrations has had major influences on writers from the past and today. He strongly felt that his work was read, understood and accepted by the common people. He used a special type of poetry that included imaginative illustrations.They complemented the writing and made for a better understanding of the piece. He was full of faith and he expressed his beliefs generously through his work. Blake was born in London on November 28, 1757, to his father James and his mother Catherine. At an early age William began to have visions or hallucinations that actually helped shape the man he was to become. At age four he claimed to have witnessed God. At age nine…show more content…
Instead he learned to read and write at home. One of the main tools that was used to help teach him how to read was the bible. As a result of constantly reading the bible he began to generate a very strong faith filled life. It did not take long for Blake to fall in love with the art of writing and painting. At age 14 he was employed as an engraver. After working for seven years, he decided to attend college. He studied briefly at the Royal Academy. In 1782 he married an illiterate woman named Catherine Boucher. Blake taught her to read and write. In 1784 Blake set up a printshop with a friend named James Parker. William Blake's first printed work was Poetical Sketches. The poems found inside are against war, tyranny, and King George III's ill treatment of the American Colonies. His most famous work was published in 1789; a children's book titled The Songs of Innocence. In 1800, Blake moved to the seacoast town of…show more content…
The poems were written by hand and the illustrations were etched onto a copper plate that was used for copying. Publishing books this way takes a lot of time and effort. As a result it can cause the authors original pieces to be rare and few. The rarity of his work had a strong effect on his popularity after death. During his lifetime Blake did not make a lot of money nor did he live a lavish lifestyle. He was always dealing with economic issues and never earned back how much effort he put in. It was not until the 20th century that people started to acknowledge him as an illustrative genius. As with a lot of writers similar to Blake, their work was not fully understood until after

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