London Flashcards
Who is the poet?
Blake
Key facts about Blake
Rejected established religion
Lived and worked in London
Wanted people to rebel against misuse of power
Romantic poet
Radical political views
Anti-monarchy
Supported women’s equality
Context
*1789 French Revolution (overthrew monarchy)
*Industrial Revolution (smog, poor working conditions, 19 hour days, child labour)
*Songs of experience -> poetry collection that exposed suffering and corruption each poem had a pair in songs of innocence (simple moral lessons for children) except London. Innocence lost with experience
Structure
Iambic tetrameter
Cyclical (impact, source, impact)
4 lines per Stanza
3 stanzas
Alternate rhyme scheme
Repetition
What is the effect of structure?
*Tightly controlled showing restriction
*Repetitive and cyclical -> relentless suffering, will continue until cycle broken (first two paragraphs focus on victims, 3rd focuses on causes and 4th returns to victims )
*Simple -> contrasts to complexity of issue
*Literary crescendo (second stanza, repetition of ‘in every’
*organised from afar, chaotic up close
Perspective
First Person
Taking a walk through London showing he is personally witnessing the suffering
Form
Dramatic monologue
Simple language- accessible and understandable
Language devices
Juxtaposition (“marriage hearse”, “black’ning church”)
“Chartered” and “flow” oppression of nature which should be free. Attack on obsession with property
Repetition (“in every”) -> relentless suffering
Semantic field of corruption and suffering
Anaphora (word referring back to earlier word to avoid repetition)
“Chartered”
Ownership and possession
Humanity attempting to control nature
Implies that the people of London are trespassing on streets
Exclusive rights given to rich
Privatisation (6 million acres)
“Infant’s cry”
Use of auditory imagery
Emotive language
Implies that from birth we are destined for misery
Distress and suffering
“Marks of weakness, marks of woe”
“Marks” are permanent, like they have been branded - slavery, cattle
Alternatively: taking note of suffering
Weak line- breaks iambic tetrameter
Freedom from restraint
Opportunity to break free or represent weakness of inhabitants
“Mind-forged manacles”
Internal oppression
Symbolic
Slavery and imprisonment
Enslaved by our mindset (concepts)
industrial language
Physically free
“Black’ning church”
“Appals”
Pollution literally
Moral corruption
Criticism of religion
Child labour
Unable or unwilling to prevent suffering
Dismay, horror
Lack of understanding of the true meaning of the bible
“Hapless soldiers sigh Runs in blood down Palace Walls”
Monarchy= institution of power
Hapless= unfortunate
Sighs- faint, gentle, shows he is dying in a far away land
Strong imagery
Blood= death, suffering
Fear of action- governments use military to oppress
“Chimney-sweeper” “youthful harlot”
Focus on victimisation of children who were affected by child labour
Women also victims- forced into prostitution to make a living, paid less than men, shamed for immorality, mature acts before they have matured
