William Blake not only wrote poetry; he was also a painter and printmaker, and his poetry is often accompanied by fantastic imagery. He was a pretty unconventional guy for his time: he challenged the social convention of marriage (in the 1700s!), he was a political radical, and he was a big critic of conventional Christianity. His poetry, as we might imagine, is pretty rebellious—not surprising for a Romantic..

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790)

Part poetry, part illustration and painting, part aphorisms, it's hard to sum up what, exactly, this book is. That's because it doesn't fit neatly into any category. It's a pretty rebellious text, though (hint: Satan is characterized as a good guy). And of course there's a lot of emphasis on sense and sensuality, that favorite of Romantic themes (and one of Blake's favorites especially).

Songs of Innocence and Experience (1794)

Now we have graphic novels, but back in the late 1700s, Blake was way ahead of the game when he published his second illustrated book of poetry. Yeah, like graphic poetry. Who knew poetry could be that much fun? In this book, Blake deals with the themes of innocence and experience, among other big Romantic themes: nature, the body, the sublime.

Chew on This

William Blake was a big believer in the ideals of the French Revolution. And we can see him attacking the terrible conditions of inequality and oppression in Britain in his poem "London." 

The sublime anyone? The speaker of William Blake's "The Tyger" certainly feels a whole lot of awe and wonder in considering a tiger. Who wouldn't?