London

• Rhythm

  Iambic Tetrameter - symbolising order & control
• Form


  Quatrain - fixed + ordered like those in London
• Structure


  • Cyclical suggesting suffering is never ending
• London

  • First person perspective
  • hurt by capitalist structures, based on individual experiences
  • powerful capital, theme which is backdrop of influence
• “i wander through each chartered street”


  oppression stems from privatisation
• “marks of weakness, marks of woe”


  breaks off iambic tetrameter - possibly could signify revolution or the weakness of Londons inhabitants
• ”chartered” “flow”

  • juxtaposition - oppression of nature by humans
• “sigh” “curse” “cry” “hear”

  • semantic field of auditory signs of suffering
  • stanza 3 : ‘HEAR’
• “youthful harlots”

  • women being victims of societal oppression
• “new born infants tear”


  pathos
• “marriage hearse”

  • oxymoronic
  • juxtaposition
  • suffering due to the institutions of power
  • societal criticism, wife is subject to opression by their husband
• “hapless soldiers sigh”

  • references the threat of military action
  • referencing aftermath of french revolution
• “in every” “with every”

  • anaphora
  • emphasises extreme extent of the suffering
  • builds up to the final line like a literary crescendo
• “black'ning church”

  • colour connotation
  • soot and smoke that polluted every part of london due to the industry in 1700s
  • figurative interpretation : evil derived from “black’ning” - seen as criticism of organised religion
• structure

  • cyclical
  • suggests suffering is never ending
  • suffering is internalised and inescapable, because people in London won’t act and rise against their opressors
• Blake spreading the message that society can be reformed by having the strength of will to break free from their aversion
• romantic literary era

  • blake saw london as corrupted by greed and inequality
  • was against oppressing women
  • considered to have radical and political views
  • anti monarchy
  • rejected organised religion as they are corrupt and political
• “chartered”


  government have wealthy rights to land, resources and ownership
• inspo

  • french and Industrial Revolution
  • swedenborg - Christian who believed that god is so loving he will not put anyone in hell. London is “hell on earth”