London

• Blake opposed the industrial revolution and believed in rights and freedom of individual people. He was concerned with the treatment of the lower class, especially children. He felt that they were robbed of their childhood and he believed child labour was wrong.
• People in power (church, monarch and wealthy landowners) seem to be the cause of the problem but they do nothing to help those in need.
• Repetition of ’chartered’ - Blake is making the point that whole streets / Thames are leased / privately owned with commercial establishments. Sense of materialism - nothing is natural / free. Money at heart of everything in London.
• Metaphor ”mind forged manacles”. ‘manacles’ indicates that people feel imprisoned ‘mind forged’ suggests it is created in the mind. London represents a restricted law bound society - so manacles ’forged’ in the mind of those creating the law or are the chains imprisoning the people created in their own minds out of fear and false belief.
• “blackening” - is it pollution or a comment on the moral corruption of the church as evil because whilst the church is ‘appalled’ by the cry of the chimney sweep, it does nothing to stop slavery and parents selling their children. The church preaches a message of love but does nothing practical to help the poor.
• “How the youthful harlot’s curse blasts the new-born infant tear” - the use of the adjective ‘youthful’ to show how young women / girls are trapped in a life of misery. The plosive of ‘blasts’ signifies how babies are affected the moment they are born. No-one can escape this terrible suffering. The poet also gives the suggestion of sexually transmitted infections through the use of ‘curse’.
• “Every black’ning church appalls” - could suggest that the church is corrupt and does not provide charity or share its wealth in the war it is supposed to but instead uses it for its own gains. Blake holds institutions like the church responsible for not ending the suffering. It could also be a reference to the impact of the industrial revolution upon the appearance of the city. Everything is dirty and polluted because of factory smoke.
• “chartered street… chartered Thames” - use of adjective to show how powerful own and/or control parts of the city. Even powerful nature features like the River Thames are under human control. Blake seems to be attacking the capitalist system.
• Chronological order and cyclical structure: everyday is the same: repetitive terrible cycle of misery, poverty and death. Anaphora structure used combined with repetition of ‘cry’ are used to build further examples of suffering and despair.
• Feelings and attitudes

  Anger - of the speaker
• THEMES

  Power

  Representation of place and people

  Political
• COMPARE

  ’Exposure’ - political poem about injustice

  ‘Storm on the island‘ - political poem about the terrible conflict

  ’Checking out me history’ - presentation of speaker
• KEY QUOTES

  “chartered”

  ”mind-forged manacles”

  ”Every black’ning church appals”

  ”How the youthful harlot’s curse blasts the new-born infant tear”