London

• "Mind-forg'd manacles I hear."

  • people are trapped in every single way -thoughts and attitudes -metaphor
  • greatest weakness is themselves - lack of power, money and say-spekaer hears various distressing noises
• "Marks of weakness, marks of woe"

  • repetition emphasises feeling of bleakness - despair affects everyone- no relief from it 
  • 'weakness' - misery and restriction and sorrow - hyperbole
  • "marks' means notice but everyone he sees is marked by experience
• "Every black'ning church appalls"

  • the church is corrupted and tarnished by its failure to look after people - visual imagery of ugliness caused by industrial revolution
  • "appals' - dismay, horror - lack of action of the church - should help poor people but only helps wealthy people- unfairness - lack of morality - appalls those who (like Blake) believe in the meaning of the bible - juxtaposes purity - love is expected from the religious institution
• context

  • poem is one of the songs of Experience reflecting the more negative aspects of life
  • Blake lived and worked in London during the Victorian Era, a time of poverty and industrial change
• structure

  • Blake uses a lot of repetition which could imply the cycle of poverty and that there is no escape for the lower social classes.
  • Blake begins the poem London by just observing the streets. However, as the poem progresses, it is evident he is angry about the institutions that should support the poor people such as the church, the monarchy and the government. The poem ends negatively with implications of death