Structure

• Cyclical structure

  • Cyclical structure of suffering “chartered“ in the beginning and “marriage hearse” at the end
  • Blakes message- the people of London will keep on suffering until they break the cycle of oppression and rebel against society- like in the French Revolution.
  • He wants the Victorian readers to implement change
• Fixed structure

  • Iambic tetrameter -ABAB rhyme scheme and consistent stanza lengths
  • quatrains (4 lines)
  • Enhances the sense of complete control and oppression- mirrors the way the lower classes are trapped in London
  • illustrates that suffering in London is relentless and never-ending
  • portrays Blake’s exasperation- political diatribe against the government
• Auditory imagery

  • “Sigh” “curse” “I hear” - Blake actively discerns the suffering of the people around him
  • Blake wants the reader to start listening to the signs of suffering around them as well as this message.
  • Help to evoke pathos or sympathy from the readers
• “Marks of weakness, marks of woe”

  • Seven syllables - breaks the iambic tetrameter, reflects the weakness of london’s inhabitants
  • Breaks in the fixed structure Presents the opportunities for Londoners to rebel against the government