Week 1.2 Winter

William Blake: Overview

• Life Duration: 1757-1827

• Background: Son of a London tradesman.

• Education: Only formal education was in drawing at the Royal Academy of Arts.

• Career Path:

  • Apprenticed to an engraver at age 17 and began writing poetry.

  • Enjoyed moderate prosperity as a drawing teacher and illustrator.

• Unique Contribution: Developed a method of "illuminated printing" in 1788.

  • An illuminated manuscript is done by hand that has both words and images, often featuring elaborate designs and gold or silver leaf, which adds a luxurious quality to the text.

• Legal Issues: Falsely accused and acquitted of sedition in 1803, a serious charge at the time.

  • bar fight with a soldier in 1805 led to a public scandal that tarnished his reputation, although he later managed to regain his standing in the community.

Illuminated Printing

• Definition: A printing technique developed by Blake.

• Process:

  • Text and illustrations are written directly onto a copper plate in reverse using acid-resistant medium.

  • Plates are etched in an acid bath to leave the design in relief.

  • The plate is hand-inked and pressed to transfer the design onto paper.

  • Images are hand-painted in watercolors, then the pages are stitched into a book.

Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1789, 1794)

• Origin: "Songs of Innocence" was etched in 1789; combined with additional poems under the title "Songs of Innocence and of Experience" in 1794.

• Structure:

  • Total: 19 poems in "Songs of Innocence"; 28 poems in "Songs of Experience."

  • Variability: Reprinted and bound many times with different poem arrangements, all hand-watercolored, primarily by Blake's wife.

• Themes:

  • Both collections depict a fallen world characterized by injustice, evil, and suffering.

  • Songs of Innocence:

    • Viewed through the lens of an innocent child.

    • Uses simple, pastoral language.

  • Songs of Experience:

    • Presents a more cynical perspective from an experienced adult.

    • Reflects a jaded view of the same subjects.

• Poetic Interaction:

  • Poems stand independently; however, some poems in one section have corresponding pieces in the other section.

Key Poems

• Songs of Innocence:

  • "Introduction"

  • "The Ecchoing Green"

  • "The Lamb"

  • "The Chimney Sweeper"

  • "The Divine Image"

  • "Holy Thursday"

  • "Nurse’s Song"

  • "Infant Joy"

• Songs of Experience:

  • "Introduction"

  • "The Garden of Love"

  • "The Tyger"

  • "The Chimney Sweeper"

  • "A Divine Image"

  • "Holy Thursday"

  • "Nurse’s Song"

  • "Infant Sorrow"

Relevant Poetic Comparisons

• "The Lamb" (1789) vs "The Tyger" (1794)

• "The Chimney Sweeper" (1789) vs "The Chimney Sweeper" (1794)

• "Infant Joy" (1789) vs "Infant Sorrow" (1794)