Blake’s first book of poems was printed in 1783, and included poems written when he was a teenager. Later books, such as Milton and Jerusalem were published with engravings, some of them hand colored, from Blake’s own designs. In these, the text and the engravings were intended to be a unified whole, to be read and interpreted together. In 1790, Blake’s Principal work in prose and pictures, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, attacked the reality of matter and denied the rights of authority. Other of Blake’s work, such as Vala and The Four Zoas, are filled with complex characters and mystical ideas.
Blake also illustrated the major writings of other authors. His illustrations for the Book of Job from the Old Testament and for Dante’s Divine Comedy are considered to be masterpieces.
