The "Fearful Symmetry" of William Blake's Poetry
Matthew A. Gilbert, MBA, Webmaster

It is through the "fearful symmetry" of his poetry that Blake is best known. From his early Poetical Sketches (1783) to the Ghost of Abel (1821), Blake's words weave together a rich tapestry of creativity, humanity and integrity.

His poetry is as emotionally liberating as it is intellectually challenging. Through his poetry Blake communicates a deep love of mankind and his belief that we are far more elevated in stature than traditional religion has us believe.

Yet, we are a fallen people, not from God, but ourselves. According to Blake, the path to liberation lies inside each us. We need not wait for "One Greater Man," (as Milton wrote). Our salvation is a personal one, one that is ironically prevented by the limitations we place on ourselves.

Of course the best way to appreciate the poetry of William Blake is to personally experience it. To that end, we offer a complete alphabetical index of his poetic works. Where applicable, click on the title of a piece for the full text - which might, depending on the piece, lead you to another website. Items for which we do not yet have a source for the text will not have a link.

Note: These electronically available excerpts are reproductions of the material contained in The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake, edited by David V. Erdman and were made available online through the admirable dedication of Howard Nelson Hilton, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus inthe Department of English at the University of Georgia, Athens.