Songs of Experience: Facsimile Reproduction with 26 Plates in Full Color

By William Blake

One of Blake's most inspired creations, "The Tyger" mingles the lyric and mystical in an exquisite union. Now you can experience the beauty of this and other poems the way Blake intended them — with his own hand-colored illustrations giving them visual form.
This facsimile edition of one of Blake's celebrated "Illuminated Books" reproduces a collection of calligraphed poems, each enclosed in a masterful full-color illustration. Twenty-six plates reprinted from a rare 1826 etched edition include "London," "A Little Boy Lost," "Holy Thursday," The Voice of the Ancient Bard," and other immortal verse. To enhance reading, the texts of all the poems are transcribed separately, following the plates.
Dynamic designs and simplicity of language convey Blake's vision of mankind and his condemnation of a wealthy society insensitive to poverty and unhappiness. Moreover, its universal themes make Songs of Experience just as poignant and profound today. Lovers of literature and fine art will want to add this faithful, inexpensive facsimile of an immortal classic to their libraries.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Release date: Jul 12, 2012
• ISBN: 9780486140070

William Blake

William Blake was born in London in 1757. He was apprenticed to a master engraver and then studied at the Royal Academy under the guidance of Joshua Reynolds. In 1789 he engraved and published Songs of Innocence and the contrasting Songs of Experience came later in 1794. A poet, painter and printmaker of great originality and imagination, his work was largely unrecognized during his lifetime and he struggled to make a living. Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. He died in 1827.

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Reviews for Songs of Experience

[meditationesmartini · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Okay, Blake, you Blake my world. Blake lively. Blakeguard! Blake-eyed ravens spiral down. Finnegan's Blake (is liking this book more than Songs of Innocence like liking Ulysses more than Portrait of the Artist, i.e., utterly fucking safe and obvious and predictable? Blake, Blake, Blake, on thy cold grey stones, o sea. And what rough Blake, its Blake blake at Blake, Blakeckclrkclrkclrklbbbbbkkkk?This is some art brut shit. Next stop, Orcus and Urizen.

[jakeofalltrades · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first poetry book I bought of my own free will. I bought it since it had "The Tyger" included in it, as well as the illustrations. The text on the plates of the illustrations are hard to read, but the pictures bring the poetry to life. Blake's poetry didn't leap out at me at first, as I first encountered it in a forced Poetry school assignment unit, however reading Blake with no obligations to do so brings the most enjoyment, you should be able to study it as much or as little as you like. Reading this makes you realise how much Alan Moore bases his classic 1980s comics on Blake's wordsmithing. An enjoyable read.