Answer:
William Blake was born in London on November 28, 1757, to James, a hosier, and Catherine Blake. Two of his
six siblings died in infancy. From early childhood, Blake spoke of having visions—at four he saw God ―put his
head to the window‖; around age nine, while walking dathrough the countryside, he saw a tree filled with
angels. Although his parents tried to discourage him from ―lying," they did observe that he was different from
his peers and did not force him to attend conventional school. He learned to read and write at home. At age ten,
Blake expressed a wish to become a painter, so his parents sent him to drawing school. Two years later, Blake
began writing poetry. When he turned fourteen, he apprenticed with an engraver because art school proved too
costly. One of Blake‘s assignments as apprentice was to sketch the tombs at Westminster Abbey, exposing him
to a variety of Gothic styles from which he would draw inspiration throughout his career. After his seven-year
term ended, he studied briefly at the Royal Academy.
Explanation:
