London Flashcards
1
Q
What is the context of William Blake’s “London”?
A
*Written in a time of poverty, child labour and horrific war with France
*Railed against how London at the time was so dirty and corrupt
2
Q
“i wander through each chartered street”
A
- charted suggests listed and regulated, shows streets clearly controlled
- likewise to the thames, nature is controlled by man
3
Q
“marks of weakness, marks of woe”
A
- metaphor for being branded, to show place in society
- suggests everyone is without power and in misery
4
Q
“The mind-forged manacles i hear”
A
- alliteration draws attention to metaphor - people not physically held back, but belief in own weakness holds them back
5
Q
“chimney sweeper’s cry…hapless soldiers sigh”
A
- cries of innocent children
- draws links to war at the time
6
Q
“plagues the marriage hearse”
A
- oxymoron juxtopses joy of marriage to misery of death
- suggests society destroyed all good things
