Milton, a Poem

This epic poem follows its hero on a journey of self-discovery and invention, accompanied throughout by Blake’s masterful powers of illustration. In the course of the poem, English poet John Milton descends in spiritual form from heaven to 19th-century Earth. Milton joins himself to the soul of William Blake, and together they journey through physical and metaphysical realms. The text contains many allusions, ranging from Biblical references to the events of Blake’s own life. The poem’s famous introduction contains the poem “And Did Those Feet in Ancient Time,” which is sung today as a hymn in some English churches.