London Flashcards
What happens in ‘London’?
the narrator describes a walk round London, everyone is affected by misery and despair, people in power do nothing to help the people in need
“I wonder through each chartered street”
the streets have been mapped, should be helpful but Blake uses it to complain about the expansion of cities. He contrasts ‘I wander’ with the idea that we have no freedom because everything is systematic
“marks” “every”
repetition - emphasises the feeling of bleakness, despair affects everyone and there’s no relief from it
“The mind-forged manacles I hear”
manacles links to the ideas of imprisonment - oppression. our own minds have put us in a jail due to social classes ‘forged’ - the belief in sicial hierarchy is fake
“Every black’ning church appals”
literal - coal from factories and physically turning these black
non-literal - church should be doing something to help the less fortunate which is their moral duty and Jesus’ teachings
“Runs in blood down Palace walls”
reference to the French Revolution - he thinks ordinary people suffer while those in the Palace are protected behind walls. metaphor suggests that the same thing that happened in France will happen in London
“And blights with plagues the marriage hearse”
‘Marriage hearse’ - oxymoron, links the happy image of married with death, all marriages will end in death he blames men for being corrupt as they cheat and break down the marital vows and focuses on physical affects.
what are the themes in ‘London’?
power of humans, loss and absence, anger, individual experience
the power of humans in ‘London’?
humans do not have any power unless they are the government or the church, they are in a helpness situation
the loss and absence in ‘London’?
there is an absence of anything positive in the poem, ana absence of freedom “the chartered Thames”, innocence “Blasts the new-born infant’s tear” and morality “harlot’s curse”
anger in ‘London’?
the narrator is angry about the society, he uses repetition “marks” “every” and uses emotive imagery, such as “every infant’s cry of fear”
individual experiences in ‘London’?
the poem opens with ‘I’ and takes the form of a dramatic monologue describing a walk through London, the speaker’s description is entirely negative which makes the reader question whether he’s biased. even in the joyful event of a wedding he can only picture a funeral “the marriage hearse”
what’s the form of ‘London’?
it is a dramatic monologue, ABAB rhyme scheme is unbroken and seems to echo the relentless misery of the city. the regular rhythm could reflect the sound of his feet as he trudges around
