Thursday, October 25, 2012

William Blake-Words and Images

Sometimes you do find treasure on the internet.

I was reading about William Blake in preparation for the October Sunday Salon at The Writers Place. The Salon is held the third Sunday of every month and hosted by Sharon Eiker. A different writer is discussed each month. Attendees take their own approach to learn about the life and works of each writer and share their perspectives.

Blake was both a visual artist and a poet. As this biography on poets.org explains, he expressed an interest in painting at the age of 10 and his parents sent him to drawing school. At 14, he was apprenticed to an engraver and was assigned to sketch the tombs at Westminster Abbey. He saw a variety of Gothic styles that he used as inspiration throughout his life. He went on to become an engraver and illustrator of books and magazines.

As I was looking for information about Blake, I hoped to find some of his poems and images. I didn't expect to find the William Blake Archive. I urge you to take a look for yourself to learn about this still-growing resource. I will give you a tip. After you have pulled up an image, hit the compare button.


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4 comments:

  1. Gosh Michelle, you could get lost in that site for hours! I've only had time for a quickie but I'll go back and have a good mooch around later.

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    1. I agree, Veronica. I've barely scratched the surface.

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  2. This site is dangerous for me, I can get so sucked into clicking and admiring! His work is amazing. Stopping by from TALU.

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    1. I feel the same way, Ann. As you can tell from the post, I love the comparison feature. Thanks for stopping by from TALU.

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