How Did William Blake Influence The World
William Blake: Underappreciated and Unexpected Influence
Many well-known and acclaimed writers, musicians, and artists were not recognized and were even criticized during their own time period. Among these were Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Allen Poe, and Johann Sebastian Bach, who are all now heavily studied individuals. This was also the case for William Blake, a writer criticized and underappreciated in his time, that is now regarded as one of the six major English Romantic poets. His engravings and poetry have been analyzed, rewarded, and influential pieces of work. Many may view the world in an innocent view and a harsh view, and this can be credited to Blake. He has been able to inspire modern-day writers, musicians, and artists with his spiritual …show more content…
Blake started writing before the age of fifteen when he wrote lyrics that were later published in his very first work Poetic Sketches in 1783. He was also likely influenced by the visions he had as a child where he saw God, developing the focus of many of his works. Blake’s family, apprenticeship, and the political situations of London at the time influenced his writings and art. He was part of the 1780 Gordon Riots and was present at the burning of the Newgate Prison, both anti-Catholic protests. He was a large supporter of the French revolution and attended radical gatherings with Thomas Paine, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, and Joseph Priestley (Reisman 12). These politics and evangelical movements influenced his life as a poet. An additional influence on his religious upbringing was that his parents were involved in a “stout discerning sect, the precise nature of which is not known” as well as teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg and Jacob Boehme. Much of the ideas and opinions of his parents and these visionaries had a great influence on Blake’s philosophy and religion; these were often subjects he wrote about in his poetry and prose as well as depictions in his engravings ( Banville 4). William Blake created well over twenty works of poetry, prose, and art; many of which include more than one poem within the publication. Blake is classified as a Romantic poet; Romanticism is the genre that “deals with tales of wonder and adventure, often involving marvelous and the supernatural” which is shown through his many works that reference religion (Reisman 1).One of Blake’s most famous works is The Song of Innocence and of Experience written in 1794. This collection of poems shows “the two contrary states of the human soul,” or the innocent side of life and the harsh side of life. Included in the Songs of Experience are Little Girl
Many well-known and acclaimed writers, musicians, and artists were not recognized and were even criticized during their own time period. Among these were Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Allen Poe, and Johann Sebastian Bach, who are all now heavily studied individuals. This was also the case for William Blake, a writer criticized and underappreciated in his time, that is now regarded as one of the six major English Romantic poets. His engravings and poetry have been analyzed, rewarded, and influential pieces of work. Many may view the world in an innocent view and a harsh view, and this can be credited to Blake. He has been able to inspire modern-day writers, musicians, and artists with his spiritual …show more content…
Blake started writing before the age of fifteen when he wrote lyrics that were later published in his very first work Poetic Sketches in 1783. He was also likely influenced by the visions he had as a child where he saw God, developing the focus of many of his works. Blake’s family, apprenticeship, and the political situations of London at the time influenced his writings and art. He was part of the 1780 Gordon Riots and was present at the burning of the Newgate Prison, both anti-Catholic protests. He was a large supporter of the French revolution and attended radical gatherings with Thomas Paine, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, and Joseph Priestley (Reisman 12). These politics and evangelical movements influenced his life as a poet. An additional influence on his religious upbringing was that his parents were involved in a “stout discerning sect, the precise nature of which is not known” as well as teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg and Jacob Boehme. Much of the ideas and opinions of his parents and these visionaries had a great influence on Blake’s philosophy and religion; these were often subjects he wrote about in his poetry and prose as well as depictions in his engravings ( Banville 4). William Blake created well over twenty works of poetry, prose, and art; many of which include more than one poem within the publication. Blake is classified as a Romantic poet; Romanticism is the genre that “deals with tales of wonder and adventure, often involving marvelous and the supernatural” which is shown through his many works that reference religion (Reisman 1).One of Blake’s most famous works is The Song of Innocence and of Experience written in 1794. This collection of poems shows “the two contrary states of the human soul,” or the innocent side of life and the harsh side of life. Included in the Songs of Experience are Little Girl