In 1757, a great British poet named William Blake was welcomed into the world. Born in London, England, he was the third son in his family but only the second to survive. Blake was one of 5 children born to his mother Catherine Wright Armitage Blake and fathered by James Blake. During William's childhood, his parents noticed that he was very different from his peers. Blake claimed to often have visions, but his parents did not believe him; they told him it was not okay to lie. When William was only four years old, he had his first vision. According to his word, he saw God set his face towards his window. Later, at the age of 9, while walking down the street with his parents, he encountered a tree full of angels. His parents often tried to discourage him because they found Blake's visions fabricated. When William was growing up, his parents never forced him to go to a conventional school. Instead, he would learn to read and write at home, and at the age of ten he expressed a desire to become a painter and his parents sent him to drawing school. Two years later, after being enrolled in a drawing school, William began writing poetry. Then just two years later, William apprenticed with an art printmaker because art school proved too expensive. One of Williams' projects while an apprentice was to design the tombs of Westminster Abbey, which exposed him to a variety of Gothic styles from which he would draw inspiration throughout his career. After his seven-year term ended, he studied briefly at the Royal Academy. In 1782, William Blake married Catherine Boucher, who was illiterate. Over the next few years, William taught him to read and write, and taught him drawing... middle of paper... ee, Eds. 1917. The Oxford Book of English Mystical Verse. A&E Networks Television, nd Web. April 1, 2014. Poet: William Blake – All the poems of William Blake. « Poet: William Blake – All the poems of William Blake.com, nd Web. Understanding “The Tyger” by William Blake » Understanding “The Tyger” by William Blake Np, nd Web. April 06, 2014. “William Blake. » Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, nd Web. April 1, 2014. “William Blake.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, nd Web. April 03, 2014. ““The Everlasting Gospel” of William Blake: A Hypertext Edition by David Owen. » WilliamBlake's "The Everlasting Gospel": A Hypertext Edition by David Owen. Np, and Web. April 2. 2014.