William Blake cover art

William Blake

Selected Poems

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William Blake

By: William Blake
Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
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About this listen

 At the end of his life, William Blake (1757-1827) gave up hope of being widely understood, but the twentieth century brought to his work a new and intense interest and acclaim.

Included in this collection are well-known poems such as "Tyger! Tyger! Burning Bright" and "A Poison Tree"; longer poems such as "The Everlasting Gospel", "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell"; Blake's principal prose work; and an assortment of epigrams and short satire.

Poet, artist, and mystic, Blake wrote, "I must Create a System or be enslav'd by another Man's." Create he did.

(P)1992 Blackstone Audiobooks Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature European Poetry United States World Literature Witty Funny

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All stars
Most relevant  
I have listened to this audiobook dozens of times, and each time it gets better. At first, I found the mannered reading style off-putting, but becoming accustomed to the presentation has allowed me to appreciate the content more and more. And such content! Blake could just as easily be writing in the 21st century as the 18th, his parables are so timeless (and beautiful).

Wonderful poems - but the reading is unusual

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This is the single greatest collection poems I have ever heard. GREAT MYSTIC SAVE MY SOUL!

William Blake is the greatest!

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Always enjoy a good poetry book. However, the voice reading is too much. Personally I would rather read than listen to certain works.

♡...but

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I am at a loss. I feel so inadvertently prejudiced. too camp. sorry. I had to stop i wasn't listening to the poetry merely wondering how Mr Blake actually spoke. I've no idea.
seriously, surely not like David Walliams.
I was so looking forward to this but now I've had to move away, feeling guilty.

no no no

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his voice is monotoned the entire way through, except when he occasionally ends a line in a question that isn't there. A real shame because I was really looking forward to listening to this one. There was absolutely no passion, or seemingly even the vaguest interest, and even at 1.60, his voice seemed to drone on.

The poetry is phenomenal, but its ruined entirely by the narrator

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I'm sad to say that I could not finish this.
The narrator is awful and really annoying. Love Blake's poetry but the narration absolutely ruined this .

narrator is terrible

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This reader has done an extraordinary thing, he has made Blake unlistenable to, so mannered but obviously
Thinks he is empathetic, quite tragic really .

Impossible!

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such profound and seminal work read with a register of mild indifference. I couldn't bear it.

a shame

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