William Blake

Did you know?

• As a child, Blake claimed to have seen a tree full of angels on Peckham Rye — one of many visions that shaped his poetry throughout his life.
• He invented his own printing technique called 'illuminated printing', hand-etching text and artwork onto copper plates to self-publish his books.
• Despite his extraordinary talent, Blake died in poverty and was buried in an unmarked communal grave; his exact resting place was lost for many years.
• He never attended formal school — his mother educated him at home, and he began drawing and writing poetry before the age of ten.