Drawn by William Blake Etched by Luigi Schiavonetti

Death's Door

It is only a night, a long and moonless night,

We make the grave our bed, and then we are gone!

These lines are taken from the concluding stanza of Blair's poem, framing death as a temporary rest.

London, Published May 1, 1808, by Cadell & Davies, Strand.

This celebrated image depicts the duality of death. At the bottom, a frail old man enters the dark stone tomb, representing the end of physical life. Above, a rejuvenated, radiant figure rises into the light, symbolizing the spiritual resurrection of the soul.