Auguries of Innocence is a poem written by the English painter, poet and printmaker William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827). Unpublished in his lifetime the poem was written in one of his notebooks and was not published until 1863. The poem contains a series of paradoxes which speak of innocence and nature juxtaposed with evil and corruption. An augury is a sign or omen. Influenced by the Middle Ages and its themes of gothic art, firm outline and manual artistry; Blake was at odds during his lifetime with the mechanical and scientific world which began in the late 18th century, culminating in the industrial revolution in the early 19th century. Mostly ignored during his lifetime William Blake is now considered one of the most brilliant and visionary artists of the Romantic period.  All images are handcoloured ofgraveconcern orginals.