William Blake (28 November 1757 � 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, he is now considered a seminal figure in the history of poetry and art of the Romantic Age. His poetry is said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language".

Said by some to be a gnostic and considered mad in his day for his views, Blake is held in high regard for his expressiveness and creativity, and for the philosophical and mystical undercurrents within his work. This poem, which I first set for tenor in 1979 and have recently reworked, is an example of such….