london

Question 1

give a quote that shows how Blake feels london and its inhabitants are owned

Answer 1

“I wander through each chartered street near where the chartered Thames does flow”

Question 2

who does Blake criticise in this poem - give a quote

Answer 2

“every blackening church appalls and the hapless soldier’s sigh” (institutions)

Question 3

what technique is used in “mind forged manacles”

Answer 3

metaphor

Question 4

what does Blake do to make it clear that the life for the poor in London is monotonous and everyone suffers?

Answer 4

“in every cry of every man, in every infants cry of fear, in every voice, in every ban”

Question 5

what is the rhyme scheme of this poem?

Answer 5

alternate rhyme (ABAB)

Question 6

its written in iambic ……..
what does this represent?

Answer 6

-tentrameter
-its shorter than pentameter so shows life being cut short

Question 7

what is the message of the poem?

Answer 7

that the rich have negative power over the poor and there is imbalance between the rulers and the ruled

Question 8

What is the purpose of the alliteration in “mind-forged manacles”?

Answer 8

It draws our attention to the metaphor. Blake is showing that these people are not physically held back, but their belief in their own weakness holds them back.

Question 9

What does “chartered Thames” suggest about mankind’s power?

Answer 9

Mankind has power over nature

Question 10

What is communicated in “and mark in every face I meet marks of weakness, marks of woe”?

Answer 10

Blake is suggesting that everyone is without power and is miserable.

“Mark” can be a metaphor for a brand as if the people are branded with this look to show their p,ace in society

Question 11

What does Blake believe that is shown through “every blackening church appals”?

Answer 11

He believes religion as a tool to keep the people down

Question 12

What contrast is creates between “the chimney sweepers cry” and “every blackening church appals”?

Answer 12

Contrast between the cries of the dirty, innocent children and the supposedly clean, corrupt church

Question 13

What technique is used in “the hapless soldiers sigh runs in blood down palace walls”

Answer 13

It’s a symbolic metaphor of the fact that soldiers are sacrificing their lives to protect the power of those living in the palaces.

Question 14

what is “marriage hearse” an example of? what is Blake suggesting here?

Answer 14

-its an oxymoron that juxtaposes the idea of marriage with death.
-Blake is suggesting that society has destroyed all good things in life

Question 15

what is the structure of the poem?

Answer 15

its four stanzas with a regular alternate rhyme scheme. This could immitate the regular walking pace of the narrator as he walks around London

Question 16

what happens at the last line of each stanza? give two examples?

Answer 16

-the last line delivers a powerful message that sums up the rest of the stanza
-“the mind forged manacles i hear” and “runs in blood down palace walls”

Question 17

how does this poem link to the events of the day?

Answer 17

at this time France had thrown off and executed their king. This was scary for Britain as a country with an old monarchy and aristocracy.

Blake is perhaps suppourting the idea of revolution - asking people to throw off their ‘manacles’