William Blake was born in London in 1757, his talent as a artist was recognised and was admitted in 1797 as a student to the Royal Academy. However rather than following a more conventional path , Blake decided to publish his own work in illuminated books. These works allied Blake’s visionary poetry with graphic illustrations. Blake lived in turbulent times and his poetry sought to provide a voice to build a fairer and more noble society. His doctrine of using the imagination as vehicle for progress was ahead of its time and the irony is that the modern reader is more open to these ideas than the 18th Century reader. Blakes reputation has grown in the last two centuries especially though the popularity of The Tyger and Jerusalem. This selection of 50 greatest poems seeks to introduce the reader to a wider range of Blake’s work to understand his visionary and lyrical talent.
