William Blake: Visionary

The Tate Britain exhibition on William Blake explores this talented 19th century artist whose poems and paintings are strikingly modern and pregnant with meaning. Differentiated activities from A2+ to B2 will allow you to add Blake to a sequence on the Gothic or the Romantic movements, for example Shine Bright 1ère Advanced File 1 “Freaky dreams”.

The Tate’s website offers a rather thorough insight into the artist’s world and- depending on your students’ level and interest- you may find it relevant to explore more than offered here, ie explore the “ Blake’s London” or the “Blake’s cast of characters” pages.

Here are two worksheets to help your students -no matter what their level is- to get a glimpse of the artist’s work. The articles and activities range from an A2+level to a B2+ level, all on the same artist.

Vocabulary and structures

Art in museums: curator, exhibition…
Religion & faith: God, angels, ..
Vocabulary for analysing: it implies, suggests, it is reminiscent of…
19th-century society: machinery, industries, industrial revolution…
Linkwords: contrast (whereas, yet…) and paradox (however...);
- cause (as, because…) and consequence (that’s why, therefore…)
- adding ideas: moreover, what’s more, furthermore…
Past / preterite
Voicing your opinion: In my opinion, I find it…
Expressing surprise/ admiration: What a … , It’s so… + adjectives (amazing, puzzling, disruptive…)