london Flashcards
what is london about
● Walking through the streets of London observing its corruption and dirt
● Sees signs of sadness and suffering in every person he passes
● Signs of child labour, church’s corruption, the army and the monarchy
● Sees prostitutes and newborn children
● Views the carriages of newlyweds as hearses – cycle of misery
context on william blake
- english poet and artist
-lived in london most his life, believed it was corrupted with greed and inequality due to political situation
-poems about political subjects, poetry was his passion, used it to try and instigate change so he wrote with simple language so it was accessible to all - disliked oppression of women, taught his wife how to read and write
-antimonarchy, wanted a revolution,saw revolution as inevitable and necessary - christian but rejected establsihed church, saw it as corrupt and hypocritical, did not like how establishment put money into new buildings while people starved
what was the significance of the time it was written
written during french and industrial revolution
London was published during the “reign of terror”. The French Revolution became an inspiration for many radicals as it was a symbol of how the oppressed could seize power from the privileged. It resulted in the end of the French monarchy, which is what Blake was hoping for in England
England transformed into an industrial power. However, this urbanisation led to most of London being covered in smog from factories and industrialisation The term “Chartered” means government gave the wealthy exclusive rights to land and resources that had been previously owned in common, which meant the wealthy started owning monopolies of land
what is the significance of this poem coming from the collection of the ‘songs of experience’
This was a poetry collection that acted as a companion piece to “Songs of Innocence” , which was focused around the innocence and naivety of children and the beauty and peace of nature, providing simple moral messages. On the other hand, “Songs of Experience” exposed the corruption and suffering / the harsh reality of the new, changed world and the social issues (such as poverty, child labour and prostitution) that were attached to it.
main idea 1
authoritarian abuses of power
The mind-forged manacles I hear:’
the establishment mentally controlling people
“mind forged manacles”, which suggests the suffering of the citizens of London has become internalised.
Maybe their oppression had resulted in them forging their own restrictions.
“Manacles” are associated with slavery and lack of freedom, which shows people are enslaved by authorities but also by their own mindset and fear, and also enslaved by accepting injustice.
Here, Blake is suggesting it is their fears and aversions that prevent change, as they are physically free (the manacles are not literal) but enslaved by concepts instead.
These conflicts include the class system, ownership, charters, and institutions like the church and the monarchy, which Blake actively stood against. By presenting the manacles as having their origin in the mind, he is sending the message that society can be reformed by people having the strength of will to break free from their aversion to change and take action.
structure
The motif that suffering is never ending is emphasised by the poem’s cyclical structure and narrative, which suggests suffering is internalized and inescapable because those who live in London won’t act and rise up against their oppressors and institutions of authority who restrain them. This inevitable cycle of never ending suffering that is set for all is further mentioned through the oxymoronic phrase “marriage hearse”, as it suggests all happiness and all life is doomed
Blake is fairly consistent in his use of iambic tetrameter. This shows order and control, as the consistency of a rhythm provides a sense of the relentless oppression.
Blake employs an ABAB rhyme scheme, along with consistent stanza lengths. He uses quatrains (4 lines) and this fixed structure enhances the sense of complete control and oppression which could mimic the way he feels lower classes are trapped in London. This consist structure also highlights how suffering is relentless and never-ending, to the point of being overwhelming.
main idea 2
societal criticism, the sadness and suffering of everyone in society
’ the marriage hearse’
‘repetition of ‘in every’’
'’youthful harlot’’
juxtaposing phrases -“marriage hearse” which contrast connotations of new beginnings, joy and happiness of weddings with the end of life and grief of a hearse. =a societal criticism of how, for women, marriage was like death. =carriage was a hearse, and they’re being sent to a marriage where they would have all their rights and property lost. The new bride is then subject to oppression by their husband. Blake was in favour of liberating women, and felt that marriage itself is an abuse of power, giving men the opportunity to abuse power over their wives. it is a figurative representation of how all love must ultimately end in death. alternatively, it could show that the existence of young prostitutes in the city is destroying the institution of marriage
‘in every’ -The poem uses anaphora in the phrase “in every”, with “every” also repeated within the lines (seven times in total throughout poem). This may be Blake emphasising the extreme extent of the suffering, showing how it impacts everyone with no discrimination. The device gets very repetitive, maybe to show how repetitive the cycles of suffering are in London’s Victorian society. This repetition builds up to the final line like a literary crescendo.= shows constant suffering
More victims of this societal oppression, according to the poem, are women: “youthful harlot” - many women were condemned to immorality and prostitution just to make a living, as there were few jobs avalible to women at the time. They were also systematically paid less than men and were only valued for appearance/sexual fulfilment
main idea 3
oppression stemming from privatisation
‘near where the chartered thames does flow’
the people and the street are owned and controlled by the establishment
class opression
Blake presents oppression as stemming from privatisation, using the repetition of the word “chartered” in the phrases “each chartered street” and “chartered Thames does flow”. This refers to how in the 1700s, legislation was passed giving common land to the wealthy for exclusive use and ownership. Therefore, land in the city transitioned suddenly from common to private, with everything owned and controlled by the wealthy. There is a juxtaposition between “chartered” and “flow”, because “flow” implies freedom, whereas “chartered” is describing it as owned by someone. Blake is also commenting on the oppression of nature by humans. Nature should be free for all to access and enjoy, but the greed of humanity is so great it tries to control nature
