William Blake Biography

William Blake, an English poet, painter, and printmaker, created work largely unrecognized in his time but now considered seminal in both poetry and visual arts. His prophetic poetry, described as forming "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the language," alongside his visual artistry, has led critics to proclaim him Britain's greatest artist. Blake's creative vision embraced 'imagination' as "the body of God," engendering a diverse and symbolically rich corpus. Today, he is highly regarded for his expressiveness, creativity, and the philosophical and mystical currents underlying his work, though his originality and singularity make classification difficult.