The Influence of the Bible on William Blake Essay

During the British Romantic period, some writers used material from the Bible or imitated the Bible in style of writing or content. William Blake, a Romantic writer, engraver, and painter, believed that â€Å"the Bible was the greatest work of poetry ever written† (Barker 2004). The Bible influenced him throughout this life, specifically influencing both his writing and his art. There are many references to Biblical themes within his writing, and there are also many references to specific passages of Scripture (Barker 2004). The lines â€Å"O thou, with dewy locks, who looked down / Thro’ the clear windows of the morning . . .† (1-2) in William Blake’s poem â€Å"To Spring† give a picture of the window from the Bible. â€Å"Behold, when we come into†¦show more content†¦9.6). Matthew of the Bible also explains the fulfilled prophecy telling of the coming of Jesus to earth as a child. â€Å". . . a virgin shall be with child, and br ing forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us† (Matt. 1.23). â€Å"The mighty God† mentioned in Isaiah 9:6 is Jesus because the Bible states â€Å"I [Jesus] and my Father are one† (Jn. 10.30). The poem â€Å"Holy Thursday† in â€Å"Songs of Innocence† states that â€Å"the hum of multitudes were there but multitudes of lambs† (Blake 7). Multitudes of God’s children, which are referred to sometimes as lambs, are also mentioned by the prophet Joel in the Bible. â€Å"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision† (Joel 3.14). In the Scriptures, it is stated in Hebrews: â€Å"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares† (13.2). This is restated in the line in â€Å"Holy Thursday† that reads â€Å"Then cherish pity, lest you drive an angel from your doorâ⠂¬  (Blake 12). Both the line from the poem and the verse from the Bible indicate the importance of taking those who need help or those who are strangers into your home because you never know when one might be an angel (Blake 12; Heb. 13.2). The ancient trees mentioned in the line â€Å"That walk’d among the ancient trees† from the â€Å"Introduction† to â€Å"Songs of Experience† (Blake 5) is a reference to the trees in the Garden of Eden. â€Å"And they heardShow MoreRelatedWilliam Blakes Influence Of Literature1303 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Blake William Blake’s poetry was heavily influenced by the Christian Bible, which is quite uncommon for the English Romantic poets. In fact, he is even known as the final religious poet of Britain. This tendency toward using the Bible in his literature derived from his avid reading of this holy book during his childhood. 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