London

Question 1

What is the context behind London?

Answer 1

Written by William Blake around time of French revolution, he was a radicalist,
critical of womens rights, child labour, unemployment, poor/rich divide

Question 2

What’s the structure of London like?

Answer 2

4 stanzas, ordinary rhyme scheme to show the tedious nature of walking around london which he is doing. Last lines are very hard hitting summing up rest of stanza

Question 3

‘in every’

Answer 3

Repetition, anaphora, everywhere he looks he sees corruption and refusal to break out of the shackels and do something

Question 4

‘youthful harlots curse’

Answer 4

harlot= prostitute, common form of work, young girls doing this to earn money

Question 5

‘mind-forged manacles I hear’

Answer 5

you have made it inside your head, completely your own thoughts, slavery and restraint, people are limiting themselves through their own thoughts

Question 6

Why is London written in rigid quatrains?

Answer 6

to reflect the power and order within London at the time