William

Title

William

Student Commentary:

In this plate from Milton (1967 facsimile), a muscular male figure, believed to represent William Blake himself, stands in the center of the plate with his eyes towards the sky and his arms outstretched. Dark billowing clouds that border the top of the plate range in color from black to rust. Parallel to Blake’s knee in the image on the plate is a glowing comet in the shape of a traditional star. In the poem, this comet is the descending spirit of Milton, who enters Blake's foot and uses it as a halfway point between Heaven and the human world. There are also steps in the left of the plate which Blake appears to have just walked down.

Links:

Detailed View of Image at the William Blake Archive

About this Book

Source

William Blake@Union Digital Collection