MEMORIAL TO BLAKE MAY BE ERECTED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17878, 21 June 1926, Page 6

MEMORIAL TO BLAKE MAY BE ERECTED.

CENTENARY of painterpoet FALLS NEXT YEAR. (Special to the “Star.”) LONDON, May 1. A distinguished group of public men have done well to suggest that a memorial should be provided in St Paul’s Cathedral to William Blake, the centenary of whose death is due next year. Those who make themselves responsible for the appeal reminds us that this strange genius we see at one time without food on his table, at another buying with his last shilling a camel's hair brush. “To-day, with the iron of fate his works command the highest prices in two hemispheres. while the verses for which he despaired of any readers now eveti appear in advertisements in our streets, and are sung at national gatherings.” No more eloquent tribute to the eccentric genius has been uttered than that which was contained in a generous study of his life and personality by the late Mr Herbert Jenkins. This strikingl ydeclared that Blake was a teacher with a living message to deliver, and that the tragedy of his life was that there were none to hear. The man found himself out of sympathy with the classical spirits of his age and with characteristic vehemence condemned everything and everybody connected with it.

To the world it appeared that he preached a gospel of anarchy, and Blake declined to explain. As Mr Jenkins eloquently pleaded: “Blake has written many golden truths, bequeathed to us many beautiful poems, painted many glorious pictures. Let us judge him by such of his work as we are able to understand, not condemn him for what may, after all, contain a message, although we are unable to recognise it.” It is only requisite to add the remnider that Blake's songs for children were admired by Wordsworth, Coleridge and Lamb, and that to-day he is best known as the writer of exquisite Songs of Innocence and Experience.