Songs of Innocence

By William Blake

Book Overview

The first and most popular of Blake's famous "Illuminated Books," in a facsimile edition reproducing all 31 brightly colored plates. Additional printed text of each poem. "The colors are lovely, the book is a joy." -- Kliatt Paperback Book Guide.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486227642
• ISBN13: 9780486227641
• Release Date: June 1971
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.2" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

From humility, genius.

Dover has done the reading world an enormous favor by keeping books like this available in low-cost editions. Poems like "The Little Black Boy," The Chimney Sweeper," and "The Lamb" are among the sweetest, saddest lyrics ever penned by a poet in English. Reading these poems in an edition that provides facsimile color reproductions of the original watercolor plates (painted individually by hand) helps in our perception of them. These poems were meant to be absorbed visually. Branches, vines and leaves weave through the lines as we read. Of course children can appreciate the sentiment and charm of the poems, but older readers will see their sharp social criticism as well, especially when balanced against matching poems in Blake's "Songs of Experience." This book has my favorite pastoral lyics in the language. It is a permanent contribution to the spirit of humankind.