William Blake

William Blake
Blake in a portrait by Thomas Phillips (1807)
Born	(1757-11-28)28 November 1757 Soho, London, England
Died	12 August 1827(1827-08-12) (aged 69) Charing Cross, London, England[1]
Occupation	Poet, painter, printmaker
Genre	Visionary, poetry
Literary movement	Romanticism
Notable works	Songs of Innocence and of Experience, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, The Four Zoas, Jerusalem, Milton, "And did those feet in ancient time"
Spouse	Catherine Boucher ​ (m. 1782)​
Signature

William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, visionary, painter, and printmaker. He was born and died in London.

During his lifetime he was not very well known. Today Blake's work is thought to be important in the history of both poetry and the visual arts. Blake's first collection of poems, Poetical Sketches, was printed around 1783. His most famous poem "And did those feet in ancient time" was, over 100 years later, put to music by Hubert Parry. The hymn is called "Jerusalem".

Blake was voted 38th in a poll of the 100 Greatest Britons organised by the BBC in 2002.

1. ↑ "Blake & London". The Blake Society. 28 March 2008. Archived from the original on 15 September 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2014.