William Blake's Poetry: A Reader's Guide

I bought this book because I was interested in learning a bit more about William Blake's life and poetry. This is a suitable introduction both for those who are new to Blake, and for those seeking a different and interesting perspective on poems that they are already familiar with.Jonathan Roberts does not offer any single, authoritative reading of the poems, but invites different interpretations, and includes study questions for discussion at the end of each chapter. The book is therefore particularly well-suited to undergraduates. I strongly recommend this book to all librarians, but especially those who do not merely arrange knowledge on shelves, but who, like Roberts, know and feel the importance of reciprocity in the learning process.

This is an extremely lucid introduction to Blake, situating the great man's radicalism in its revolutionary context. Perhaps more importantly, it is sensitive to the eternal spirit of Blake making clear the work's contemporary visionary relevance. If you're new to Blake, you couldn't start with a better introduction; if you're to teach Blake this will supply you with a range of pithy analogies and links to contemporary culture; if you're an expert, you'll admire the simplicity with which potentially difficult themes have been handled.