William Blake ‘Odd Man Out’
In the last blog post, we looked at two American women poets, Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath. Both poets were known for their somewhat eccentric ways — or arguably were considered that way at the time. This week’s Romantic poet, William Blake, could definitely be said to be viewed in the same light; that is, the ‘odd one out’, especially due to the visions that he experienced. Similarly, to Dickinson and Plath, Blake’s works did not gain popularity until after his death. However, Blake is not just known for his poetic talents: he was also a painter, engraver and visionary.
Born on 28th November 1757, Blake was one of seven children, of whom two died in infancy. Due to his parent’s recognition and encouragement for his artistic talents, he was enrolled in Pars’ drawing school aged ten. Two years later, Blake then began to write poetry. Aged fourteen, when art school became too expensive, he then became an apprentice engraver. Blake also taught his younger brother, Robert, how to engrave, draw and paint. When Robert died in 1787, Blake believed that he saw his brother rising up through the ceiling ‘clapping his hands for joy.’ Believing that his brother continued to visit him, Blake claimed that his brother visited him in a dream to teach him the printing method for his illuminated works, such as Songs of Innocence (1789). One of his most popular works, Songs of Innocence continues to receive mixed interpretations. Some view it as a children’s illustration, others have found critique and parody within it.
However, Blake’s non-conformist views are not only confined to his works; he also associated with other radical thinkers of the day, including Thomas Payne and Mary Wollstonecraft. Works other than Songs of Innocence also contain elements of protest, that go against the views of his time. Blake’s first printed work Poetical Sketches (1783) protests against King George III’s treatment of the American colonies, war and tyranny. Blake also very much rebelled against the neoclassicist conventions of his era. He believed that imagination should be privileged over reason in the creation of both his poetry and images. For Blake, ideal forms should not come from nature but from inner visions. Interpretations of Blake’s works, in both his time and the present day evidently differ, but at the time, Blake maintained that his works could be read by common people.
Blake can certainly be read as the ‘odd man out.’ Whether you agree with this interpretation or not, it can definitely be said that his works continue to resonate. If you would like to find out more about William Blake’s poetry, Matt Simpson’s book delves into the complexities of some of Blake’s works here, and Peter Davies’s book on Blake is here.