Daugherty's biography of William Blake is divided into five major parts, each headed by an epigraph, or brief quotation, selected from Blake's writing to set the tone for what follows. Each of the book's twenty-six chapters opens with an excerpt from Blake's poetry or prose, and Daugherty quotes lengthy segments of the writer's work throughout the text. As a result, Blake's work is introduced to young readers and placed in a meaningful context.

Part One of the biography begins with Blake's birth in London on November 28, 1757, and describes his religious upbringing. His stern father's misjudgment of the sensitive and highly imaginative little boy is tempered by his mother's understanding. When the child tells his parents he has seen a tree full of angels, "the most beautiful sight I ever saw," his father accuses him of lying. His judgment is softened, however, when Mrs. Blake...