london

• the industrial revolution was taking place.
• blake lost faith in religion as the church failed to help suffering children.
• the verb 'wander' suggests that Blake didn't have to even look for suffering as there was so much of it. this also suggests he is only observing life and not commenting as it is not his responsibility to fix it.
• throughout the poem, blake uses a strict iambic pentameter and quatrains to symbolise the inescapable suffering and cycle of poverty.
• the repetition of the adjective 'chartered' suggests that neither the streets or the people are free - they are all being controlled.
• the noun 'Thames' conveys a romantic image despite dangers of pollution and our awareness of cholera.
• alliteration links 'weakness' and 'woe', amplifying how damaged the population was.
• the repetition of 'marks' brings a sense of poignancy to end the stanza. this noun shows that there is obvious suffering everywhere - it is written on their faces. 'marks' could also symbolise metaphorical marks left by the controlling, oppressive system.
• the noun 'woe' suggests extreme and overwhelming sadness
• the powerful use of anaphora of the word 'every' conveys a sense of universal suffering.
• there is constant suffering from birth to death, and the cycle of suffering is inevitable, shown by 'every man' and 'every infant's' cry.
• the repetition of the noun 'cry' suggests that London is a torturous and agonising place, as the 'cry' suggests fear, sadness, and pain.
• the 'mind-forged manacles' suggests that the population has been indoctrinated and brainwashed, and that these restrictions are all in their heads. this could suggest that we are perpetuated by our own limitations.
• 'mind-forged manacles' also evokes an industrial image in the reader's mind.
• the noun 'ban' suggests a restrictive and oppressive society.
• the 'cry of every man' contradicts the patriarchal beliefs of men's strength and toughness.
• the 'chimney-sweeper's cry' suggests child labour and is abuse of innocents. this is exploitative employment.
• 'black'ning'

  • could be smoke from the industrial revolution turning buildings black
  • could be soot covered orphans
  • could symbolise the corrupted morals of the church, as they are seen as evil for not protecting the children
• the 'hapless soldier's sigh' is accusatory and once again shifts blame onto the church for the population's suffering.
• 'runs in blood down palace walls' suggests that Blake is blaming the monarchy for sending vulnerable soldiers to war and wasting lives. it also emphasises the futility and stupidity of war, and how soldiers lack agency over their own fates.
• the acrostic of the third stanza spells 'HEAR'. this suggests how Blake is overwhelmed by the suffering and his aural experience manifests itself in horrible sights. this could also be a call to those in authority to listen to the complaints of the people.
• the adjective 'midnight' is a symbol for moral darkness and sinister happenings. this also shows that London is a damaged city at all hours.
• the 'palace walls' are a barrier between rich men in power and the poorer soldiers.
• the oxymoron of 'marriage hearse' mirrors marriage with death to symbolise how closely the rich and poor are connected, yet are complete opposites. this also mirrors blake's view that marriage was a form of social control.
• 'and blights with plagues the marriage hearse' attacks the institution of marriage. London is marked by the depravity caused by the oppressive nature of systems that allow evil and exploitation to exist.