While the shorter lyric poems of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience are well known, the greatest achievement of this visionary poet and artist is undoubtedly his cycle of prophetic books, which are less frequently explored. These long and elusive poems, written, illustrated, and hand-printed by Blake, expound a mythology and vision that is richly complex in its narrative and symbolism.

Into the Tomb takes its text from an unfinished prophetic book of 1807, Vala, or the Four Zoa...