William Blake (1757-1827)
Blake wrote and illustrated his epic, Milton: a Poem, between 1804 and 1810. Its hero is John Milton himself, who returns from heaven and spiritually enters into Blake through a series of visions. Milton enjoins the younger poet to correct some fundamental errors he had introduced into the story of Paradise Lost. During the course of the narrative, Milton is reunited with his feminine principle, Ololon. The poem’s prophetic preface includes the verses ‘And did those feet in ancient time’, which are the source of the lyrics for the hymn ‘Jerusalem’.