London

• 'mind-forged manacles'


  People in power have control over the populations minds brainwashing and conditioning them for societal benefit
• 'plagues the marriage hearse'


  Marriage = New beginnings

  Hearse = Death/no hope

  Quote becomes oxymoronic due to symbolism of 'marriage' and 'hearse'

  Potential definition of marriage ruined?
• 'midnight streets'


  Connotations of crime and darkness?

  Links to 'plagues the marriage hearse'
• 'marks of weakness, marks of woe' 


  Synonymous sounds of sadness

  The repetition could be symbolic of Blake's desire to enlighten
• 'chimney-sweepers cry'


  Can be seen as being symbolic of the loss of innocence that children had when becoming chimney-sweepers due to their family living in poverty which isn't the child's fault however they still have to sacrifice their childhood to benefit their family

  Links to 'new-born infants tear'
• 'every cry of every man' and 'every infants cry' 


  Metaphoric sadness in all of mankind

  The word 'infant' implies that the future for them is bleak as they come into this world crying
• 'every blackening church appalls'


  Symbolic of the literal and metaphorical smog

  Literal smog due to the industrial revolution

  Metaphorical smog due to the blanket of control the Church had that smothered everyone

  Shows the vast manipulation of the Church
• 'hapless soldiers sigh'


  Symbolic of the hopelessness that soldiers have when going into war to fight for their country

  The adjective 'hapless' literally means unfortunate showing the soldiers attitudes towards going to war after already going once due to the effects of propaganda being worn off

  The people in charge are at fault as the soldiers are tired of being forced to do their bidding because they've had a disagreement

  Overall suffering of the soldiers
• 'runs in blood down palace walls'


  Shows Blake's anti-institutional views as he blames the monarchy due to 'palace' having connotations of royalty

  The verb 'runs' shows how it is still an ongoing problem and is still actively running 'down the palace walls'
• 'chartered Thames does flow'


  Can be seen as a metaphor for control in society that is inflicted upon everyone

  The word 'chartered' is symbolic of the fact that government gave the wealthy exclusive rights to land and resources that others did not have access to showing the corruption that runs through the people in power