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Blake’s Life (1757 – 1827)

• Went to drawing school, student at royal academy

• Self- taught, an autodidact

• Relied on Bible and Milton (saw as his predecessor) – Milton politically a revolutionary, while justifying the ways of God to man, he justified Satan’s rebellion against tyranny (Blake also thought repression breed revolution, as Freud said a century earlier)

• Lived nearly all life in London

• Limits of birth and death, trade and marriage

• Unremitting labour for small return

• Closest to youngest brother but he died – Robert also saw visions and wanted to be an artist – conversed ‘in the spirit’

• Hated restraint and authority – parents ambiguous: dad gave money for artist ambitions. Parents disapproved of marriage to ‘servant’ class Catherine

• Claimed to have visions, eccentric, did not publish poems in ordinary way by having them printed, but instead engraved them

• Taught to read and write at home

• Critics: Blake’s visions were way of explaining a new idea or insight or clinical psychology explanation ‘eidetic imagery’ Peter Ackroyd

• Visions were perceptive and intelligent revelations and he had continuous awareness of his surroundings when having them

• Then were common, not signs of mental illness: London had lots of groups of religious and political enthusiasts

• Few object that he saw visions, just what he saw

• Too individual to join in organisations

• Read Swedenborg, Swedish spiritual philosopher – but left this recognised church when it become trapped by organised religion

• Blake had outrage for injustice and cruelty

• Met many radicals (republican writer Paine, radical bookseller Joseph Johnson) – but most of his social action was independent of any organisation

• Political views more radical than most of his contemporaries’

• Part of well-off circle for a while, sang his lyrics in Reverend Mathew’s drawing room

• Blake not politically active himself – sympathetic to American and French revolutions and to spirit of freedom

• Christian in the Dissenting tradition

• Met Varley, a painter

• “The Ancients” group adopted Blake as master of these artists

• Some long lasting friendship – Henry Fuseli (more successful £)

• Thomas Butts helped Blake financially (struggle for commission)

• Attacked a soldier (let off), shouts of damning King and country

Comments

These notes are aimed at A Level English Literature students at A2 level.

Originally written by Lucy2 on TSR Forums.