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William Blake

Introduction

William Blake born on 28 November 1757 was an English printmaker, painter, and poet. He mostly remained unknown the entire life; however, now Blake is known as an influential figure of the history of the Romantic Age, not only in poetry but also in visual arts. A prime reason for Blake's popularity is the visionary poetry Blake wrote, which is considered as to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language." The visual art of Blake has made one of the current critics of art declare the artist as the greatest artist ever born in the Great Britain. Even though Blake reside in London, the great men only spent three years on the home ground and spent the rest of life in Felpham where he shaped in to a symbolically rich and diverse body, which accepted the vision of human beings as the body of God (Bentley, pp. 135-136).

Although, Blake is thought of to be a psychic by colleagues for the characteristic views Blake holds; however, later on, Blake is apprehended with high respect by succeeding critics for creativity, and expressiveness and for the spiritual and thoughtful patterns engraved in Blake's work. The poetry and paintings of Blake is exemplifies as an as part the Pre-Romantic and Romantic Movement, primarily because of the great emergence throughout the 18th century. Blake was unreceptive to the Church of England; nevertheless, respected the Bible. Moreover, Blake was also unreceptive to all varieties of planned religions. The aspirations and optimism of American and French revolutions affected Blake to a great extent. In addition to this, thinkers as Emanuel Swedenborg and Jakob Böhme are also included in sources of inspiration for Blake.

Regardless of the influence of such known figures, the odd of Blake's work makes it complex to characterize the great man. William Rossetti, a 19th century scholar, describe Blake as a magnificent celebrity, and a man can neither be included in the predecessors nor with the modern poets or artists. Rossetti adds to Blake's praise by saying that none of Blake's successor can replace the position Blake had.

Gordon Riots

Alexander Gilchrist, the first to write Blake's biography, accounts that in June 1780 Blake took a walk towards Basire's shop in Great Queen Street, that suddenly a mob of wild people attacked him, this mob moved towards Newgate Prison London, attacking the gates of the prison with pickaxes and shovels, while setting the premises of the building ablaze, releasing the inside prisoners. Blake believed to lead the mob in these riots, which afterward, became popular as Gordon Riots. As a result of these riots, the sanctions of a parliamentary bill, against Roman Catholicism were withdrawn. In addition to this, these riots also aggravated an outbreak of legislation from the George III government, simultaneously leading to the creation of a first police force ever (Marshall, pp. 58-60).

Regardless of the assertion presented by Gilchrist's that the mob enforced Blake to go along with it, a ...