The Uncollected Letters of William Blake

This essay focuses on the most recently unearthed letter by William Blake—one that is known but has hitherto been inadequately discussed. Blake's letter illustrates how aspects of the correspondence, previously considered mundane, in fact can play a crucial role in unearthing key minute particulars and ultimately bringing into fuller focus Blake's life and work. At the same time, the ever-increasing corpus of Blake letters little addressed by researchers underlines the need for a revised and fully annotated, historically and biographically attuned scholarly edition of the correspondence of the artist, poet, and printmaker.