“William Blake was an English poet, engraver, and painter. A boldly imaginative rebel in both his thought and his art, he combined poetic and pictorial genius to explore life,” (http://www.notablebiographies.com/). His artwork and poetry were classified as part of the Romantic era. This historical period made a large advent during the late 18th century and curtailed roughly around late 19th century. The generation was replenished with revolution and war as those who endured though this time felt an extensive concern for the problems of existence, death, and eternity. subsequently in this environment, Romanticism was created. In the midst of his era, he also continued to derive inspiration from others and the events that were involved in the …show more content…
“William Blake was the first great anti-establishment poet, the first great artistic voice in the West to question the reigning orthodoxy of church and state,” (http://www.thehypertexts.com/). Although he was unregarded and unrecognized during his lifetime, he was considered a seminal figure in regard to the poetry and art of his time. “Considered mad by contemporaries for his idiosyncratic views, Blake is held in high regard by later critics for his expressiveness and creativity, and for the philosophical and mystical undercurrents within his work,” (http://www.poemhunter.com/). Late into his career, he persisted in producing poetry and art of his caliber. “He did some significant work, including his designs for Milton's poems L'Allegro and Il Penseroso (1816) and the writing of his own poem The Everlasting Gospel (ca. 1818), but he was sometimes reduced to hackwork and the public did not purchase or read his prophecies,” (http://www.encyclopedia.com/). Eventually he got together with a group of young artists who had great reverence for him and his work. The last 6 years of his life were when some of his best work was created as he resided in Fountain Court. He was suffering from an undiagnosed disease as he passed away on August 12, 1827 in Westminster, United Kingdom. William blake was unappreciated during his life, yet he has inspired a multitude of past and present artists and writers while becoming a monumental figure in these