William Blake, Songs of Innocence, introduced by Mark Crosby

Abstract

Songs of Innocence (1789) is a first introduction to William Blake for many. It’s a collection of delicately illustrated poems originally written for children. The images abound with flowers and tiny figures, as well as Christian symbols. This copy of Songs of Innocence, relief etched and printed in color in 1789, is copy L from the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The library’s facsimile renders the pages with the plates in a darker color, and includes a design from “Infant Joy” as a tailpiece. The light-blue cover with its gray-blue tree shadow presents title and author in gold. The book comes with transcriptions and a superb introduction written by Mark Crosby. This introduction starts with a survey of Blake’s life, excels in its description of illuminated printing, and aligns Songs of Innocence with literature written for children.