William Blake

  • 51

    Catalog books

  • 35

    Works

  • 1946 to 2020

    Strongest span

Who This Author Is

William Blake’s collected editions here gather his illuminated books, poems, and selected works that blend verse and visual art. Readers will find editions that pair facsimiles, annotations, and curated selections, highlighting Blake’s mythic imagination, prophetic voice, and the interplay of image and text across his shorter and longer pieces.

These volumes range from pocket poet selections to annotated texts and comprehensive collections, useful for readers seeking close readings or a broad view of Blake’s output. They emphasize his lyrical economy, symbolic portraits, and recurring themes—innocence and experience, prophecy and vision—presented in both compact and expanded formats.

Best Place To Start

Favorite Works of William Blake

Dover Pubns • 1996 • quick commitment

It stands out because it asks for less time than many of the longer volumes on this page.

Author At A Glance

Best known for: Illuminated poetry and prophetic books • Lyrical poems such as 'Songs of Innocence and of Experience • Vivid symbolic imagery • Integration of text and visual art

Genres and themes: Romantic-era visionary poetry • Spiritual and mythic symbolism • Social critique and innocence vs. experience • Visual-text hybrids

Who this author is best for: Good for readers who appreciate poetic imagination, dense symbolism, and works that blend visual art with verse.

Start with a collection that pairs poems and reproductions of his illuminated plates to see both text and images together.

Top Books To Start With

  1. Favorite Works of William Blake

    Dover Pubns • 1996 • quick commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1996 • 160 pages.

  2. William Blake

    Pearson Longman • 2008 • longer commitment

    It helps anchor a specific period of this author’s publishing run instead of blending into the undated shelf clutter.

  3. William Blake (Longman Annotated Texts)

    Longman • 2000 • longer commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2000 • 392 pages.

  4. Works of William Blake

    Lb May & Assoc Inc • 1999 • longer commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1999 • 416 pages.

  5. Blake: Poems (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets)

    Random House Inc • 1994 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1994 • 283 pages.

  6. Blake's illuminated books

    Princeton Univ Pr • 1991 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1991 • 302 pages.

  7. Selected poetry

    Oxford University Press • 2008 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2008 • 311 pages.

  8. Songs of Innocence and of Experience

    Huntington Library Press • 2008 • quick commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2008 • 176 pages.

  9. Collected Poems

    Taylor & Francis Group • 2005 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2005 • 304 pages.

  10. Lykanthropus

    Vantage Pr • 1999 • quick commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1999 • 150 pages.

How The Picks Compare

  • Favorite Works of William Blake is the easier short commitment, while William Blake asks for more reading time up front.
  • Favorite Works of William Blake gives you an earlier look at this author’s shelf, while William Blake leans later in the catalog.
  • William Blake (Longman Annotated Texts) is also useful if you want a different publishing lane from Favorite Works of William Blake.

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