William Blake

William Blake - William Blake - ainter,, PPoet, oet, P Painter PPrintmaker rintmaker  O.Tasenyuk O.Tasenyuk Kurchatov School Kurchatov School 2018 2018

William Blake   William Blake (1757 – 1827) (1757 – 1827)

BIOGRAPHY BIOGRAPHY • Was born on 28 November 1757 at 28 Broad Street (now Broadwick St.) in Soho, London. He was the third of seven children two of whom died in infancy. • Blake's father, James, was a hosier. He attended school only long enough to learn reading and writing, leaving at the age of ten.   Blake was born here and lived here until the house was demolished in  1965.

He lived in London his entire life except for three years spent in Felpham. In 1800, Blake to a cottage there, in Sussex (now West Sussex), to take up a job illustrating the works of William Hayley, a poet. Here Blake began a poem  "Milton“ title page is dated 1804, but continued to work on it until The preface to this work poem beginning "And did those feet in ancient time", which became the words for the "Jerusalem".  (the Blake 1808). includes a moved anthem

Education Education •On 4 August 1772, Blake was On 4 August 1772, Blake was apprenticed to engraver.  apprenticed to engraver.  • At the end of the term, aged At the end of the term, aged 21, he became a professional professional 21, he became a engraver.  engraver.  • On 8 October 1779, Blake became a On 8 October 1779, Blake became a Royal Academy in Old student at the Royal Academy in Old student at the  Somerset House, near the Strand, Strand, Somerset House, near the  London. HeHe    , Central London. Westminster, Central Westminster studied there for 6 years. studied there for 6 years.

Victorian Literature Coleridge, R. , R. W. Wordsworth, S.S.Coleridge • Early romanticists: R. Burns, W. Scott, W. Early romanticists: R. Burns, W. Scott, W. Blake Blake • Lakists: Lakists:W. Wordsworth, Southey Southey • Later romantics: G. Byron, P. Shelley, J. Later romantics: G. Byron, P. Shelley, J. Keats Keats • Victorian Poetry: A.Tennyson, R. Browning Victorian Poetry: A.Tennyson, R. Browning • Early Victorian prose (Realistic Novel): Early Victorian prose (Realistic Novel): Ch.Dickens, W.M.Thackeray, Bronte sisters, Ch.Dickens, W.M.Thackeray, Bronte sisters, E.Gaskell. E.Gaskell.

Opinions about Opinions about W. W. Blake Blake  "Blake is the Romantic  writer who has exerted  the most powerful  influence on the  twentieth century."         Edward Larrissy       (“Blake and modern literature”) «Блейк и английская  детская поэзия ­ вот что привело меня к детской литературе».             Самуил Яковлевич Маршак

Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a fundamental figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. Considered mad by contemporaries for his views, Blake is held in high regard by later critics for his expressiveness and creativity, and for the philosophical and mystical undercurrents within his work. His paintings and poetry have been characterised as part of the Romantic movement Romantic movement  and "Pre-Romantic", for its large appearance in the 18th century.

•    The singularity of Blake's work makes him difficult to classify. • The 19th-century scholar William Rossetti  characterised him as a "glorious luminary", and "a man not forestalled by predecessors, nor to be classed with contemporaries, nor to be replaced by known or readily surmisable successors".

During his lifetime Blake received no fame outside the narrow circle of admirers, but was "discovered" after his death by Pre-Raphaelites. Had a significant impact on Western culture of the XX century. The song "Jerusalem" on his poem is considered the unofficial anthem of the United Kingdom.

2 engravings to Shakespeare edition Shakespeare 1804/1805

Marriage and EEarly arly Marriage and CCareer areer They met in 1781 and married in 1782. Illiterate,Catherine signed wedding contract with an ‘X’. They remained together until his death in 1827. She was his excellent and a true helpmate. On his deathbed, Blake drew a picture her wife of stating me". Catherine as his last work,                                     Catherine Blake, 1805,                                                  by W. Blake "you have ever been an angel to

ollection of PPoems CCollection of oems •1783 – Poetical Sketches 1783 – Poetical Sketches •1789 - 1789 - Songs of Innocence Songs of Innocence (19 (19 engraved engraved poems) poems) •1794 - 1794 - Songs of Experience Songs of Experience (26 poems) poems) (26 engraved engraved And other works …

For Russian readers William Blake was discovered by Samuil Marshak, who worked all his life on the translations of his poems. Though a lot of philologists and critics do not find his translation perfect in style.

The Little Boy Found  The Little Boy Found    The Little Boy Lost  The Little Boy Lost

The Little Boy Found  The Little Boy Found The little boy lost in the lonely fen,     The little boy lost in the lonely fen,  Led by the wand'ring light,  Led by the wand'ring light,  Began to cry, but God ever nigh,  Began to cry, but God ever nigh,  Appeard like his father in white. Appeard like his father in white. He kissed the child & by the hand led  He kissed the child & by the hand led  And to his mother brought,  And to his mother brought,  Who in sorrow pale, thro' the lonely Who in sorrow pale, thro' the lonely dale dale  Her little boy weeping sought. Her little boy weeping sought.

Variants of Translation Variants of Translation      Маленький мальчик в  пустынном болоте, Влекомый блуждающим  светом, Начал рыдать, но Бог,  всегда близкий, Предстал, как отец, весь в  белом. Он склонился к нему, и за  руку взял, И, целуя, привёл его к  матери, В то время как, бледная, в  долине пустынной, Она искала любимого  мальчика.                K. Balmont, 1920         Маленький мальчик, устало  бредущий Вслед за болотным огнем, Звать перестал. Но отец  вездесущий Был неотлучно при нем. Мальчика взял он и  краткой дорогой, В сумраке ярко светя, Вывел туда, где с тоской и  тревогой Мать ожидала дитя.           S. Marshak,1916

Variants of Translation Variants of Translation     Во тьме ребёнок сбился с  пути, Блуждая за огоньком. Заплакал чуть слышно, но  рядом Всевышний — Окутан белым плащом. Как отец, Он за руку  малыша К матери вёл за собой. Тоской сражена, искала  она Дитя в долине ночной. S.Sukharev, 1997      Малыш за болотным брёл  огоньком  И в топь зашёл, наконец,  Он звал, кричал, и пред  ним предстал  Господь, как родимый  отец.  Целуя, он за руку вёл  малыша Туда, где бедная мать,  Грустна и бледна, бродила  одна,  Надеясь сынка отыскать.   D. Smirnov­Sadovsky,2013

Blake’s Grave Blake’s Grave    Since 1965, the exact location of William Blake's grave had been lost and forgotten as gravestones were taken away to create a lawn. Blake’s grave is commemorated by a stone that reads "Nearby lie the remains of the poet- painter William Blake 1757–1827 and his wife Catherine Sophia 1762– 1831".

Blake’s grave Blake’s grave    The memorial stone is situated approximately 20 metres away from the actual grave, which is not marked. Members of the group Friends of William Blake have rediscovered the location and intend to place a permanent memorial at the site.

And in Conclusion …… And in Conclusion •Blake is recognised as a saint in the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica. •The Blake Prize for Religious Art was established in his honour in Australia in 1949. •In 1957 a memorial to Blake and his wife was erected in Westminster Abbey.