Fearful Symmetry: A Study of William Blake

work by Frye

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June 26, 2026

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Fearful Symmetry: A Study of William Blake is a 1947 book by Northrop Frye. The work is a comprehensive analysis of the visionary symbolism and mythology within the works of the English poet and artist William Blake. Frye's study established the foundation for his later contributions to literary theory, emphasizing the underlying patterns and archetypes in literature. The book explores Blake's complex and often mystical themes, including his concepts of innocence and experience, as seen in works like Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Frye's analysis highlights Blake's unique artistic and poetic vision, contributing significantly to Blake's recognition as a major figure in English art and poetry.123

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Northrop Frye
In 1947 he published Fearful Symmetry: A Study of William Blake, which was a sweeping and erudite study of Blake’s visionary symbolism and established the groundwork for his engagement with literary theory. In Anatomy of Criticism (1957) he challenged the hegemony of the New Criticism by emphasizing the modes…
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In 1947 he published Fearful Symmetry: A Study of William Blake, which was a sweeping and erudite study of Blake’s visionary symbolism and established the groundwork for his engagement with literary theory. In Anatomy of Criticism (1957) he challenged the hegemony of the New Criticism by emphasizing the modes…
Read More

Harold Bloom
much influenced by Northrop Frye’s Fearful Symmetry (1947), a study of William Blake, and he later stated that he considered Frye “certainly the largest and most crucial literary critic in the English language” since Walter Pater and Oscar Wilde.
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much influenced by Northrop Frye’s Fearful Symmetry (1947), a study of William Blake, and he later stated that he considered Frye “certainly the largest and most crucial literary critic in the English language” since Walter Pater and Oscar Wilde.
Read More