"William Blake's illuminated poems and prophecies were ignored in his own time. Now, however, the Songs of Innocence and Experience is an established collection of lyrics, and Blake's 'prophetic books' are widely admired and studied. The first part of this book leads the reader into the Songs of Innocence and Experience via detailed analysis of individual poems and an informative discussion of the designs on Blake's illuminated plates." "Part 2 provides the background information you need as a student of Blake."--Jacket.