Summary of John Higgs' William Blake vs. the World

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The English lawyer Henry Crabb Robinson met the English painter and printmaker William Blake at a dinner party in London in 1825. Over the course of the evening, he became fascinated by Blake’s casual conversation about his relationship with the spirit world.

#2 Robinson was initially confused by Blake, but he couldn’t bring himself to dismiss him as a simple madman. He felt there was something important and vital about his worldview, even if it was frustratingly obscure.

#3 The story of the clash between the world and William Blake seems straightforward. Blake had lacked the ability to respond to the pressures and challenges of contemporary life and society, and as a result, he spent his life impoverished and misunderstood.

#4 In 2018, people went to the grave of William Blake to pay their respects to his memory. The Blake Society had raised money for a flat piece of Portland stone, carved by the stonecutter Lida Cardozo Kindersley, which was set into the grass.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jul 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822545014

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Insights on John Higgs's William Blake vs the World

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 12

Insights from Chapter 13

Insights from Chapter 14

Insights from Chapter 15

Insights from Chapter 16

Insights from Chapter 17

Insights from Chapter 18

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The English lawyer Henry Crabb Robinson met the English painter and printmaker William Blake at a dinner party in London in 1825. Over the course of the evening, he became fascinated by Blake’s casual conversation about his relationship with the spirit world.

#2

Robinson was initially confused by Blake, but he couldn’t bring himself to dismiss him as a simple madman. He felt there was something important and vital about his worldview, even if it was frustratingly obscure.

#3

The story of the clash between the world and William Blake seems straightforward. Blake had lacked the ability to respond to the pressures and challenges of contemporary life and society, and as a result, he spent his life impoverished and misunderstood.

#4

In 2018, people went to the grave of William Blake to pay their respects to his memory. The Blake Society had raised money for a flat piece of Portland stone, carved by the stonecutter Lida Cardozo Kindersley, which was set into the grass.

#5

The attention economy is difficult for us to navigate, as we are often not prepared to admit that we have recognized something sacred. We have a difficult time with the idea that something we consider sacred might be wrong.

#6

We all have a sense of missing something basic about ourselves. Blake claimed he had found it. His work is a trail he has left for us to follow. It is not surprising that we are tempted to do so.

#7

The world tried to shape William Blake in a different way than he tried to shape the world. His attention was focused on something that is not easy for us to define or label.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

Blake’s home was in an area that represented a mixture of poverty, commerce, and genteel excess. He grew up believing that this was the natural condition of the world. He was free to explore paradise as a child.

#2

The term vision originally referred to a supernatural apparition,