**This class will be taught on Zoom**
**Note that this class will skip July 5 and end on July 19.**
William Blake is an emblem of the Romantic movement: the Imagination was his world. An engraver, illustrator, painter, writer, and myth-maker, he spoke with angels and saw visions, all under poverty’s duress. His was an iconoclastic life shared with a beloved (and patient) wife. Unsuccessful in his own time, Blake’s influence has been great, from Aldous Huxley to the Beats and Van Morrison. Discover Blake’s visual art, writings, and legacy. Learn to see the world in a grain of sand.
[6-weeks]
The course will follow a roughly chronological view of William Blake’s life and the visual art and writings he created.
These include “The Songs of Innocence and Experience,” “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell,” “The Book of Urizen” and others.
At the beginning of the course, I’ll assess what the students’ key interests are, and adapt my syllabus. This is usually what I do, but I am happy to prepare and share a draft syllabus at any time.
Week by Week
Class 1 Introduction to William Blake’s Life and Times
Background on the Enlightenment to the Romantic movements; the age of Revolutions!
Sampling of Blake’s early poems
Class 2 William Blake: Visual Artist, Training as an Engraver
Songs of Innocence and Experience
Class 3 Songs of Innocence and Experience
Blake’s Illuminated Books
The Book of Thel and The Visions of the Daughters of Albion
Class 4 Marriage of Heaven and Hell
Class 5 The Book of Urizen
Class 6 The Book of Urizen
Other Works
Blake’s Legacy
