london

• London was written in 1792 by William Blake who was a romantic poet
• Blake lived in London for most of his life and saw it as corrupted by greed & inequality due to the political situation (the industrial revolution) at the time. This influenced his poetry and he wrote poems to try and instigate change.
• 'how the chimney-sweepers cry', would often be young boys taken from poor families and made to clean out chimneys without any protection or safety measures.
• The poem is about how London has become corrupt, with people being selfish and not caring about others. It also talks about how children are forced into workhouses and factories instead of going to school or playing outside like they used to be able to do.
• He uses imagery such as "black'ning church appalls" & "mind-forged manacles" to show how the city has affected people's minds and bodies.
• William Blake believed that society had lost its way and needed to return to simpler times when people were more connected to nature and their communities.
• In 'London', Blake portrays the city as a place where innocence and purity have been destroyed by corruption and greed.
• The use of repetition 'in every' emphasizes the cyclical nature of poverty and oppression in London.
• blake stood against oppressing women and he supported equality, which is demonstrated by how he educated his wife how to read and write and she eventually became his business partner
• Blake was an advocate for social justice and criticized the government's treatment of the poor and working class.
• Blake wrote 'London' during the Industrial Revolution, a time of rapid urbanization and economic growth but also significant inequality and exploitation.
• Blake used vivid language and powerful metaphors to convey his message about the harsh realities of life in London during this time period.
• Blake believed that society had lost its moral compass due to materialism and consumerism, leading to a loss of spiritual values and a lack of compassion towards others.
• Blake saw the industrial revolution as a symbol of the destruction of traditional ways of living and the erosion of human dignity.
• Blake's poem "London" reflects his belief that society has become corrupt and indifferent to suffering, with the rich enjoying their wealth while ignoring the plight of the poor.
• in 1792 the industrial revolution introduced new machinery which replaced those with jobs in the secondary industry which left many in poverty.
• The opening stanza 'I wander thro' each charter'd street' sets the tone and setting for the remainder of the poem. The repetition of the word ‘charter’d’ shows how legally defined, mapped out, or in this case, confined the place is - Everything is already decided, and is subject to government control - there is little room for freedom or imagination. This particular spot is near the Thames River – which too has been ‘charter’d.’ 'wander' and 'charter'd' are juxtaposed because 'wander' suggest freedom and carelessness where as 'charter'd' seems controlled
• 'Marks of weakness, marks of woe' - Blake uses personification here to show the city itself is weakened by the poverty it causes
• “marks of weakness” - Blake suggests that the physical signs of poverty are also evidence of mental and emotional weaknesses caused by poverty
• ‘blackening church appalls’ - the blackness of the church represents its corruption; the fact that it is ‘appalling’ means that it is shocking and frightening
• Form/Structure: Written in 4 equal stanzas of 4 lines, each in iambic tetrameter. Alternating rhyme is used throughout in the scheme of ABAB. The rhyme creates deliberate emphasis on words that underline the tone of the poem, e.g. ‘flow’ and ‘woe’ The poem is told from the viewpoint of a first person narrator who is walking the streets.
• Anaphora: Stanza 2- ‘In every’ emphasises the frequency and consistency of the pain and suffering – it is happening all over and is clear to see and hear. 'i wander thro' each charter'd street, near where the charter'd Thames does flow.'
• repetition: Blake repeats words and phrases to emphasise their importance. ‘charter’d’ is repeated throughout the opening stanza to show how rigid and unchanging London is.
• Sound imagery: The pained and anguished sounds of London also accompany the reader as they are guided through the city by the speaker. The reader is shown how helpless and destitute the citizens feel through the sounds that they make, from the ‘cry’ of men and infants, to the ‘sigh’ of the soldiers, and the ‘curse’ and ‘blast’ of the harlots at night. The sound imagery aids the reader in hearing the grim pain of each of the people that the speaker encounters.
• cyclical structure: 1st/2nd stanza and then the last 4th stanza both focus on impact of people. suggests suffering is never ending and makes the reader dwell on this so they can rebel against society like the french did during the french revolution.
• iambic tetrameter (8 syllables per line) shows order and control as the consistency of a rhythm provides a sense of the restless oppression which could mimic the way he feels lower classes are trapped in london.
• 1st letters of each line of 3rd stanza spell out HEAR (Hear Every And Runs): some believe that this could be a subliminal message to his readers, considering Blake has focused on auditory signs of suffering throughout the poem: 'cry' 'sigh'. he wants readers to consider his message and calls for recognition of society's sins.
• Juxtaposition: 'marriage hearse' societal criticism of how for women, marriage was like death. bride is subject to oppression by their husband and have their rights stripped. marriage = abuse of power, he believed in liberating power
• juxtaposition: 'charter'd' 'flow'. flow implies freedom, chartered implies ownership. nature should be accessible for all to enjoy but greed of humanity abuses its power and controls nature
• compares with 'ozymandias': abuse and contrast of power
• compares with 'exposure': suffering
• Theme of anger: evident from blakes use of repetition and emotive language. 'every black'ning church' and 'palace walls' shows hes angry with the people in power aka the church for ignoring societys problems.
• theme of loss/absence: people in london feel hopeless and the people in power wont do anything to help. 'marriage hearse'- cyclical suffering. absence of positiveness in the poem: 'the charter'd thames' absence of freedom
• theme of individual experiences: personal pronoun 'i'. description of london is entirely negative, even at a wedding he can picture a funeral- 'marriage hearse'. also 'marks of weakness marks of woe' suggests everyone hes met has been marked by experience
• 'infants cry of fear' suggests a hellish experience as the speaker hears various distressing noises
• 'black'ning church appals' church is corrupt and tarnished by its failure to look after people. also a grim visual image of ugliness caused by industrial revolution.
• link between london and comh: oppression

  comh = racial oppression london = class oppression
• London is an example of Blake’s belief that all religions are false and that they have been used to control people. The Church is portrayed as being responsible for the poverty and misery of Londoners because it does nothing to alleviate their suffering.
• The soldier's 'hapless sigh' suggests that he feels powerless to change things
• 'runs in blood down palace walls' metaphor, blake blames rich for spilling blood of soldiers who went to war, just so they could keep their comfort living in a palace.