William Blake
William Blake
William Blakewas an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. His prophetic works have been said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language". His visual artistry led one contemporary art critic to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced". In...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth28 November 1757
Humility is only doubt, / And does the sun and moon blot out.
Cruelty has a Human Heart, And jealousy a Human Face; Terror the Human Form Divine, And secrecy the Human Dress. The Human Dress is forged Iron, The Human Form a Fiery Forge, The Human Face a Furnace seal d, The Human Heart its hungry gorge.
I see the Fourfold Man; the Humanity in deadly sleep, / And its fallen Emanation, the Spectre and its cruel Shadow. / I see the Past, Present, and Future existing all at once / Before me.
For Mercy has a human heart; Pity, a human face; Love, the human form divine; and Peace, the human dress.
God appears, and God is Light,To those poor souls who dwell in Night,But does a human form displayTo those who dwell in realms of day.
Cruelty has a human heart, And jealousy a human face Terror, the human form divine, And secrecy, the human dress
The hum of multitudes was there, but multitudes of lambs,Thousands of little boys and girls raising their innocent hands.
He who doubts from what he seesWill ne'er believe, do what you please.
Every thing possible to be believed is an image of truth.
The Child's Toys and the Old Man's ReasonsAre the Fruits of the Two seasons.
Bring me my bow of burning gold!Bring me my arrows of desire!Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!Bring me my chariot of fire!
He's a Blockhead who wants a proof of what heCan't PerceiveAnd he's a Fool who tries to make such aBlockhead believe.
He who desires but does not act, breeds pestilence.
The essentials to happiness are something to love, something to do, and something to hope for.