b. 1757d. 1827
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age.
William Blake in an 1807 portrait by Thomas Phillips.
Audio
“A Cradle Song” (from “Three Songs of Blake and Donne”)
Mara Bonde (soprano) & Allen Brings (piano)2:13
“For Everything That Lives is Holy” (from “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell”)
Peter Harrower (bass-baritone) & Cary Lewis (piano)2:49
“Let the Priests” (from “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell”)
Peter Harrower (bass-baritone) & Cary Lewis (piano)2:24
“No. 1. To Morning” (from “Innocence and Experience”)
Helen Boatwright (soprano) & Keith Wilson (conductor)3:11
“No. 2. Song: How Sweet I Roam’d” (from “Innocence and Experience”)
Helen Boatwright (soprano) & Keith Wilson (conductor)2:20
“No. 3. Song: Memory, Hither Come” (from “Innocence and Experience”)
Helen Boatwright (soprano) & Keith Wilson (conductor)1:46
“No. 5. Day” (from “Innocence and Experience”)
Helen Boatwright (soprano) & Keith Wilson (conductor)2:05
“No. 6. I Saw a Chapel All of Gold” (from “Innocence and Experience”)
Helen Boatwright (soprano) & Keith Wilson (conductor)4:47
“No. 7. A Divine Image” (from “Innocence and Experience”)
Helen Boatwright (soprano) & Keith Wilson (conductor)1:03
“The Argument” (from “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell”)
Peter Harrower (bass-baritone) & Cary Lewis (piano)3:23
“The Divine Image” (from “Five Songs From William Blake”)
Thomas Hampson (baritone) & Craig Rutenberg (piano)2:48
“No. 9. Night” (from “Innocence and Experience”)
Helen Boatwright (soprano) & Keith Wilson (conductor)6:28
About
Blake’s poetry has been set by dozens of composers. His Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience have inspired generations of American composers, including Ernst Bacon, William Bolcom, George Antheil, John Harbison, Sidney Homer, Frank Lewin, Otto Luening, George Rochberg, Elie Siegmeister, Virgil Thomson, and George Whitefield Chadwick.
Related Information
Poetry Foundation
poetryfoundation.org/poets/william-blakeAcademy of American Poets
poets.org/poetsorg/poet/william-blakeThe William Blake Archive
blakearchive.orgSongs
A Cradle Song1958 · Three Songs of Blake and DonneAllen BringsWilliam BlakeA Cradle Song1912John Alden CarpenterWilliam BlakeA River of Honey2003Simon SargonWilliam Blake, Denise Levertov, Amy LowellAftermath2002Ned RoremJohn Scott of Amwell, William Blake, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Richard Eberhart, A. E. Housman, Randall Jarrell, John Hollander, William Shakespeare, Walter Savage Landor, Muriel RukeyserAnd Did Those Feet?1953 · Five Songs From William BlakeVirgil ThomsonWilliam BlakeEcho’s Songs1983Daron Aric HagenAnonymous, William Blake, E. E. Cummings, Benjamin Jonson, Edgar Allan Poe, Kenneth Rexroth, Carl Sandburg, Gertrude Stein, Sara Teasdale, Walt WhitmanFor Everything That Lives is Holy1984Curtis BryantWilliam BlakeHeaven and Earth2007Scott WheelerWilliam BlakeInnocence and Experience1961Frank LewinWilliam BlakeLet the Priests1984Curtis BryantWilliam BlakeNever Pain to Tell Thy Love1983 · Echo’s SongsDaron Aric HagenWilliam BlakeNever Seek to Tell Thy Love1958 · Three Songs of Blake and DonneAllen BringsWilliam BlakeNo. 1. To Morning1961 · Innocence and ExperienceFrank LewinWilliam BlakeNo. 2. Song: How Sweet I Roam’d1961 · Innocence and ExperienceFrank LewinWilliam BlakeNo. 3. Song: Memory, Hither Come1961 · Innocence and ExperienceFrank LewinWilliam BlakeNo. 5. Day1961 · Innocence and ExperienceFrank LewinWilliam BlakeNo. 6. I Saw a Chapel All of Gold1961 · Innocence and ExperienceFrank LewinWilliam BlakeNo. 7. A Divine Image1961 · Innocence and ExperienceFrank LewinWilliam BlakeNo. 9. Night1961 · Innocence and ExperienceFrank LewinWilliam BlakeQuiet Airs1952Ernst BaconSara Teasdale, Emily Brontë, Walt Whitman, Robert Herrick, Emily Dickinson, A. E. Housman, William BlakeSong of Innocence1949 · Songs to Children, Op. 76William BlakeSongs of Innocence2009Juliana HallWilliam BlakeSound the Flute2003 · A River of HoneySimon SargonWilliam BlakeThe Argument1984Curtis BryantWilliam BlakeThe Divine Image1951 · Five Songs From William BlakeVirgil ThomsonWilliam BlakeThe Lamb1952 · Quiet AirsErnst BaconWilliam BlakeThe Lamb1989Leslie CrabtreeWilliam BlakeThe Little Fly1912John Alden CarpenterWilliam BlakeThree Songs of Blake and Donne1958Allen BringsWilliam BlakeThe Land of Dreams1953 · Five Songs From William BlakeVirgil ThomsonWilliam BlakeThe Little Black Boy1953 · Five Songs From William BlakeVirgil ThomsonWilliam BlakeTiger! Tiger!1953 · Five Songs From William BlakeVirgil ThomsonWilliam BlakeTygers of Wrath2002 · AftermathNed RoremWilliam Blake, A. E. Housman
Video
Sheet Music
Aftermath
Ned Rorem
1. The Drum
2. Tygers of Wrath
3. The Fury of the Aerial Bombardment
4. The Park
5. Sonnet LXIV
6. On his Seventy-Fifth Birthday
7. Grief
8. Remorse for Any Death
9. Losses
10. Then
2. Tygers of Wrath
3. The Fury of the Aerial Bombardment
4. The Park
5. Sonnet LXIV
6. On his Seventy-Fifth Birthday
7. Grief
8. Remorse for Any Death
9. Losses
10. Then
Echo’s Songs
Daron Aric Hagen
1. Never Pain to Tell Thy Love
2. I Am Not Yours
3. A Dream Within a Dream
4. Echo's Song
5. I Am Rose
6. Lost
7. Why Did You Go
8. Since You Went Away
9. Thou Wouldst Be Loved
10. Look Down, Fair Moon
11. The Mild Mother
2. I Am Not Yours
3. A Dream Within a Dream
4. Echo's Song
5. I Am Rose
6. Lost
7. Why Did You Go
8. Since You Went Away
9. Thou Wouldst Be Loved
10. Look Down, Fair Moon
11. The Mild Mother
Quiet Airs
Ernst Bacon
1. Twilight
2. Gentle Greeting
3. The Divine Ship
4. Of Love
5. Eden
6. The Little Stone
7. Fond Affection
8. Stars
9. The Heart
10. Song of Snow-White Heads
11. The Lamb
12. To Musique, To Becalme His Fever
2. Gentle Greeting
3. The Divine Ship
4. Of Love
5. Eden
6. The Little Stone
7. Fond Affection
8. Stars
9. The Heart
10. Song of Snow-White Heads
11. The Lamb
12. To Musique, To Becalme His Fever