London

• wander thro' each charter'd street,

  Near where the charter'd Thames does flow


  Repetition - unhappiness, gradually all had been taken away from them, political power taking over, charterd meant being taken by government or businesses - divided
• And mark in every face I meet marks of weakness, marks of woe


  The last two repetitions of "mark" act as adjectives to make us realise that the abuses of the rich and powerful (who "chartered" the city and nature in the first couplet) have also deeply damaged the poor people of London, angry they are helpless, anaphora-marks cannot be taken away affecting them 4ever
• In every cry of every Man,

  In every Infant's cry of fear


  Emotive language.

  The emotive language expresses not only the extent of the suffering but also Blake's anger at the institutions that fail to help.

  Repetition of "every" throughout heightens the sense that the problem is widespread.
• How the Chimney-sweeper's cry

  Every black'ning Church appalls;


  "Black'ning" links to both the chimney soot and the symbolism of the colour of sin. Blake suggests that the church and everyone should be appalled by this - describes the problems in London, prostitution, exploitation, health problems from stds, as well as neglection, lack of support from churches
• But most thro' midnight streets I hear

  How the youthful Harlot's curse


  Midnight lack of light, sinful, the Harlot's curse is a prostitute curse, when young children are being forced to go and sell their bodies to survive
• And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse


  Blights-deceased, marriage hearse - e.g a marriage curse like a death sentence because birth rates and survival was rly low
• The mind forged manacles I hear


  People cannot think for themselves and are restricted by the authorities, cycle of poverty, the manacles could be from poverty, hunger etc
• Context 1784


  Many children were born to mothers who couldn't raise them

  74% of children died before age of 5

  Land was divided and owned by government or businesses
• Structure


  Quartets, ababcdcdefefghgh