London

• CONTEXT

  • London in 1794 (when the poem was published) was corrupted by greed and inequality.
  • Blake criticises the greed and imbalance of power that the industrial revolution created between the wealthy and the poor.
• 'Near where the chartered Thames does flow'


  • Juxtaposing power of man & nature.
  • Rivers should be able to flow freely - human power and control is forced onto something natural.
  • River is being restricted and denied it's freedom.
  • The river mirrors authoritative abuse of power - rich get richer + poor get poorer = widened gap
• 'Mine-forged manacles'


  • Metaphor
  • People are both physically and psychologically enslaved.
  • People are perpetuated by their own limitations, as though they are trapped in their own mental prisons.
  • These 'mental prisons' are enforced by systems of control; religion, government, monarchy
• 'Black'ning church appalls'

  • Adjective 'black'ning' is an acknowledgement of smoke and soot that polluted London, produced by the industrial revolution.
  • Metaphor + colour imagery creates cynical connotations of immorality and evil.
  • Blake refers to the moral blackening of the church, suggesting that it has been corrupted by it's own self-interest.
  • This can be perceived as a direct criticism of organised religion - the church should be a symbol of generosity & help for the poor, however it has failed to provide for the disadvantaged members of society.
• 'Plagues the marriage hearse'


  • Oxymoron
  • Contrasting connotations of new beginnings, joy and happiness of a wedding with the end of a life and the grief of a hearse
  • By bringing these ideas together, Blake is suggesting that marriage is like a hearse, a journey to the grave - inevitable cycle of never ending suffering
  • Two ceremonies associated with organised religion - further reinforces theme of authoritative abuse of power as natural impulses of humanity are being curtailed
• ABAB Rhyme Scheme + Quatrains

  • Fixed structure enhances sense of complete control and oppression - mimics his views as he feels that lower classes are trapped in London.
  • Reflects inescapable nature of misery & how suffering is relentless & never ending.
  • Reflects Blake's frustration as general public won't stand up to the institutions of power controlling them. Perhaps Blake represents the possible opportunities members of society have to break free through the small inconsistencies of the poem, e.g. 'Marks of weakness, marks of woe'. - breaks iambic tetrameter as there are only 7 syllables.
• Iambic Tetrameter

  • 8 syllables - alternating unstressed + stressed
  • Reflects the monotony of machinery being used in industrial revolution
  • Creates a repetitive plodding feel