Blake: Poems: Edited by Peter Washington

by William Blake, Peter Washington (Editor)

These Everyman's Library Pocket Poets hardcover editions are popular for their compact size and reasonable price which do not compromise content. Poems: Blake contains a full selection of Blake's work, including Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience, poems from Blake's Ms. book, poems from The Prophetic Books, and an index of first lines.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Fiction, Romanticism, Literature, 19th Century, British Literature

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 11, 2014

About the author

William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake's work is today considered seminal and significant in the history of both poetry and the visual arts.

Blake's prophetic poetry has been said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the language". His visual artistry has led one modern critic to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced." Although he only once travelled any further than a day's walk outside London over the course of his life, his creative vision engendered a diverse and symbolically rich corpus, which embraced 'imagination' as "the body of God", or "Human existence itself".

Once considered mad for his idiosyncratic views, Blake is highly regarded today for his expressiveness and creativity, and the philosophical and mystical currents that underlie his work. His work has been characterized as part of the Romantic movement, or even "Pre-Romantic", for its largely having appeared in the 18th century. Reverent of the Bible but hostile to the established Church, Blake was influenced by the ideals and ambitions of the French and American revolutions, as well as by such thinkers as Emanuel Swedenborg.

Despite these known influences, the originality and singularity of Blake's work make it difficult to classify. One 19th century scholar characterised Blake as a "glorious luminary", "a man not forestalled by predecessors, nor to be classed with contemporaries, nor to be replaced by known or readily surmisable successors."

Reviews

[Roy Lotz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Angel that presided o’er my birth
Said, ‘Little creature, form’d of Joy & Mirth,
Go love, without the help of any Thing on Earth.’

As I’ve said before, I feel a bit uncomfortable reviewing poetry. I don’t have the proper tools; I lack the vocabulary. Critiquing poetry, to me, is like critiquing a human body. I don’t know why one face pleases me, and another pleases me not; I simply couldn’t say why I find one shape shapely, and another shape misshapen. When I see a pleasing face or an attractive form, I respond automatically; and the same might be said for my reactions to poetry.

William Blake makes this job even more difficult, as he was, in the truest sense of the word, an individual. How does one evaluate a totally idiosyncratic artist? It seems impossible; all evaluations, either explicitly or implicitly, involve comparison. But when somebody is so aloof and peculiar as was Blake, comparisons seem somehow inappropriate. Well, I’ll stop caviling, and on with it.

There is a childlike innocence to many of Blake’s poems. Some of them have the gentle sing-song rhythm of a lullaby; the words seem to rock you back and forth, lulling you into a dreamy peace. Blake’s early poems, in particular, are totally free of cynicism and disenchantment; rather, they are direct, honest, wide-eyed.

To see the World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.

Married to this total innocence, however, is an intense spirituality. Blake is a textbook mystic. Perhaps the closest poet to Blake that I’ve read is Whitman. Like Whitman, Blake is scornful of organized, traditional, Puritanical religion. Rather, he sees God in every blade of grass, and considers the body a source of delight, rather than of sin.

All Bibles or sacred codes have been the causes of the following Errors.
1. That Man has two real existing principles, Viz: a Body & a Soul.
2. That Energy, call’d Evil, is alone from the Body, & that Reason, call’d Good, is alone from the Soul.
3. That God will torment Man in Eternity for following his energies.

In terms of pure poetic skill, Blake is no match for a Milton, a Donne, or a Whitman. Indeed, that sort of thing seems not to interest him. He has not a great talent for aphorism; he is not eminently quotable. The poems are not meant to be unraveled or chewed; you will not be left puzzled or bewildered. Verbal ingenuity is not, in short, Blake’s strength; and if Blake is read with that purpose in mind, you are sure to be disappointed. His aim is instead to disarm you, to make you let down your guard; his poetry is, in fact, almost conversational. Blake knew he was something of an oddball; but he was too wise to think himself any the worse for it. His poetry, then, is a kind of invitation into his personal world.

My mother groan’d! my father wept,
Into the dangerous world I leapt,
Helpless, naked, piping loud,
Like a fiend hid in a cloud.

And indeed, this world gets more odd and fanciful the longer you stay with him. Blake’s later poetry is considerably more obscure than his earlier work. He seems, in fact, to have invented his own mythology; and the poems from this period are little more than tales and visions of his personal gods and heroes and demons. It is certainly odd; but it is oddly alluring.

If the doors of perception were cleansed, every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite.

For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern.

Part of the reason books are so fascinating is because people are so fascinating. Right before reading this collection, I read a collection of Donne’s poetry. The juxtaposition is telling. Both men are mystics, both men are sensualists, both men are aloof individuals. Yet Donne is intellectual, anguished, and strained; Blake is direct, joyful, effortless. At least, this is my impression. It is odd trying to get to know somebody purely through their poetry; it is rather like trying to get to know somebody by rummaging through their trash. We are forced to guess at what’s locked inside by shifting through what’s shed.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt like visiting an old friend, as I've read quite a bit of Blakes poetry before. Still love it.

[Jenny Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the poems were a tad confusing at first, but after a second look became clearer. They all have very deliberate word choices and are quite well written. An enjoyable collection of his poems.

[Steve]

This tidy Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets volume fit into my hands as if by design, as a book should. Though I thought I purchased a new edition from an online vendor, the title page from the book I received bore a handwritten Christmas note from 2009 that was affectionately signed, “Nonny & Paps” – the deserving recipient of this short, joyful inscription was not named. Had I the chance to review my purpose with Nonny and Paps, I would have shared that I sought a greater range of Mr. Blake’s writing, which this edition of selected poetry sufficiently answered.

Here, I experienced what felt a predecessor to my favorite American transcendentalists, but in an indirect way. These words had a mystical quality and touched on many of the great conflicts embedded in human nature: good versus evil; the essence of religion; inhibiting, arbitrary social constraints; and emotions like jealousy, desire, pity, and humility. My engagement with his writing varied. Tyger worked. Other-worldly antediluvian characters like Thel, Urizen, Los, and Ahania, from the prophetic works, did not.

How lost we now are that families or small gatherings of friends will ignore these poems in favor of smartphones or television. Would we not be all the better if we shared among ourselves a poem or two a day, read aloud with attentive listeners? That may be a daydream worthy of poetic treatment on its own.

[Logan Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Blake was a mystic poet who was not afraid to challenge the religious and political views of his day. Like the other Romantic poets, he creates beautiful images of nature especially in "Songs of Innocence); but he is not naive and understands the natural and moral evil that haunts the universe and provides haunting imagery of evil and demonic power. Blake also brings up some interesting philosophical questions in his longer poems The Everlasting Gospel and Marriage of Heaven and Hell where he ponders if there is really a dichotomy between reason and desire. Blake's prophetic poems are slightly denser than his other works and derivative of other sources like the Bible and Paradise Lost, but they are a valiant attempt at world-building.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I studied Romanticism in university and for the most part, I really love the Romantics and what I've read by them. I enjoyed a lot of this, but there were also a lot that I didn't care for as much. Blake talks about religion way too much for my personal preference, and some poems just didn't feel as strong, but of course when he shines, he shines. I appreciate his work. He just isn't my favourite of his group.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating collection of powerful poems that not only give you things to think about but also presents an amazing look into Blake's mind. With poems covering nearly every topic it's hard to not enjoy his collected works.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Critically acclaimed, extraordinary, not always easy. Madman and genius of course. I enjoyed this, naturally, but it was patchy enjoyment.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't really want to finish this...I wanted to read a small poetry book for each major poet this year, and Blake is a considered a 'big one', but I'm just not into it. A lot of the poems are religious in nature (not into religious poetry) and I think I've read enough of Blake. I was a bit disappointed because I always liked Auguries of Innocence and,

"To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour"

is one of my favorite lines that has always stuck with me. Oh well I guess. Maybe I'm giving up too soon, but the style- I'm just not into the style..(romanticism?), personally preferring confessional poetry. It's not you, it's me, Blake.

[Patrick Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Songs of Innocence and Experience? Beautiful. The Proverbs of Hell? Great. Blake’s lyricism? Incredible. The Byzantine mystical philosophy with vast abysses vomiting raging fires which are beaten into tortured shapes on the anvils of Urizen or Los or whoever? Not so much. Ditto his marginalia for Swedenborg’s Wisdom of Angels & etc. Not sure why that was included unless to illuminate the philosophy. I totally get the gnostic tendency to flip Christianity on its head and claim that the real sin is to deny any desire you have for one second or whatever but a lot of it just seemed repetitive, Blake just hammering away at monogamy and every other trapping of “civilization” till he’s red in the face. Ok, I get it.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five stars for the poetry, 2 stars for the essays/imagined conversations with biblical figures (but that's really just my personal taste). A nice little volume that gets beyond the Songs of Innocence and Experience.

[Bruno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed for the most part. Second half of the book where the poems become these long-form narrative songs kinda lose me and I don't care too much for it all that much. First half has some great poems though.

[Gabrielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, i'm surprised by how much I did not enjoy those poems. The religious and prophetic nature of his works are not for me at all.

[Adam Bricker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some were really good, but I think I prefer his paintings

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful writing!

[Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went back and forth on this for a while but came to the conclusion that I am pro Blake, I am likely too dumb for Blake, and I think I would have had a better time with the art included

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5

[Olivia king · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blake’s writing isn’t for me, which is a shame, my favourite poems were those on bearing children. Unfortunately most are religious in nature.

[Ashani Sinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touchingly optimistic poetry is refreshing in the genre

[Malak Tamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blake's words have sush a unique depth i've never touched before!🥰

[Alfonso Siman · Rating 3 out of 5]

No creo que sea mi estilo de poesía pero interesante las temáticas de religión y libertad

[Andrea Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of this amazing book coming soon.

[valiantdust · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant little book.

[Guadalupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent from beginning until end, would recommend his poetry to anyone.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know this rating must reveal something quite terrible about me. Alas, I tried to like this book of poems but failed.

In 2010 I heard a preacher quote Blake and decided to get to know this poet and his craft. Well, this many years later I have finally finished the small volume I bought way back then. It was a hard journey with many starts and long pauses. For all the effort I did not feel greatly rewarded. In fact, I must say that I felt like the only one in the room who wasn't getting it. I even ventured to look up interpretations of one of his poems to find there were various interpretations, one traditional and one highly Freudian. That made me even more wary.

But all was not a complete lost. I did appreciate two poems, "A Cradle Song" and "On Another's Sorrow".

The mental exercise I went through made me feel a bit tougher and more self-assured in that I don't have to love all poetry and that it is even okay to not get it.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting thing happened during this reading. Once, a long time ago, a younger Fogus read this book and loved the "Songs of..." collections. However, an older and wiser(?) Fogus was a bit bored by the same works. However, the older and crustier Fogus liked the lesser known Blake works included in this compilation; namely:

"The Book of Thel"
"The Marriage of Heaven and Hell"
"The First Book of Urizen"
"The Song of Los"
"The Book of Los"
"The Book of Ahania"

These "prophetical" works seem to me to have a feverish tone, and based on what little I know of Blake, that may not be far from the truth. Great stuff. Crusty Fogus likey.
-m

[Will Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blake's simple, lyrical Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience were my favorite poems by him. Some of his longer poems start out well then seem to become nonsensical verse. Maybe it's me. The Prophetic poems were beyond my sense of understanding. These conjure up images of Mordor and other such bleak environs.
As I said simple was best:

" I walked abroad in a snowy day,
I asked the soft snow with me to play;
She played & she melted in all her prime,
And the winter call'd it a dreadful crime."

[Hung-ya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore William Blake' s Red Dragon series paintings but honestly not so much about his poems. I blame it on myself of course for not having enough of talents to understand and appreciate the beauty of his poems.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been a while since I read any William Blake. I do love his Songs of Innocence and of Experience. I hadn't really looked at anything else by him, however, so this was a good book if you're looking for something beyond the most popular poems.