london Flashcards
stanza 1
‘charter’d’ refers to the increasing amount of political and economic control. A charter is a document that tells you who owns a plot of land. as Blake grew up more and more charters were issued meanings that areas of nature suddenly became somebody’s property. Blake uses this to point out the ridiculousness of the idea of land that was previously free to the public becoming somebody else’s property.
Use of the determiner ‘each’ suggests that this affects the whole of London.
This is shown in the subsequent line as ‘charter’d Thames’ highlights Blake’s disbelief that even powerful natural features such as the river Thames are being chartered. This mocks the concept of chartering as a river cannot be controlled or owned in the same way a plot of land can be.
The repetition of ‘charter’d’ makes the increasing amount of control seem inescapable - it covers both land (‘street’) and water (‘Thames’).
‘Marks of weakness, marks of woe’ implies that everybody in London is clearly weak and or sad this seems to be connected to the idea of control and that through being so overwhelmingly controlled the people of London are powerless unhappy and depressed.
title
The title ‘London’ is quite declarative plain suggesting that this poem will simply show London as it really is without too much decoration.
stanza 2
In every cry of every Man,
In every Infants cry of fear
Repetition of ‘every’ emphasizes that everyone in London is miserable: ‘man’ shows that the old are miserable and ‘Infant’ shows that the young are also miserable. The misery is caused by how controlled they are as shown in the prior quatrain and throughout the poem.
‘forg’d’ conjures up an image of a blacksmith and fire and metal and ‘manacles’ which are handcuffs suggests that it is the Londoners are mentally trapped - their hope and spirits have been crushed. This highlights the people’s weakness, sadness and lack of power.
first stanza contains mostly visual imagery – second quatrain contains mostly aural imagery.
Men and children are crying and ‘Mind-forged manacles’ can also be heard in everyone’s voice. These various distressing noises create a vivid hellish experience as noises create a sense of claustrophobia as you can’t escape them. Implies that it’s difficult to escape London’s control.
stanza 3
Every blackning Church appalls
‘Black’ning’ means turning black from the smog of the Industrial revolution however it can also suggest corruption.
‘appalls’ means to turn pale however to appall someone is to shock and disgust them.
Suggests that the ‘black’nig church’ is corrupt and wicked because it’s not helping people which shocks and disgusts the persona.
being an English dissenter Blake was critical of the church as it was being meddled with by the state which Blake routinely criticizes for the impact meddling is having on people in the poem.
‘Runs in blood down Palace walls ‘
blood (of the English people) is running down the palace walls.
suggests that the monarchy is responsible for the misery and general negative impact that it’s having on its people – this makes the monarchy seem like the enemy which might reflect his initial support of the French Revolution.
stanza 4
the phrase ‘youthful harlot’ contains juxtaposition as youthful has connotations of purity and innocence whereas ‘harlot’ means a prostitute and so therefore has connotations of sordidness.
and depravity and certainly a lack of innocence - highlights how London can corrupt anything.
his criticism of it has moved from London’s overwhelming control to his overall seediness and filth.
London’s corruption is infecting babies as they are crying in the phrase ‘Blasts the new-born Infants tear’ because they know that London’s corruption is inevitable and inescapable - it will remain with them for their entire lives.
‘Blights’ and ‘plagues’ connote illness and disease - metaphorically suggests that London will corrupt many people – creates a sense of inevitability - London will continue to control and corrupt.
‘marriage hearse’ is an oxymoronic image as ‘marriage’ connotes a fresh start and new life whereas we ‘hearse’ connotes death.
if London can corrupt the marriage (which should be sacred and pure) then it could be able to corrupt and destroy anything.
quotes
stanza 1
‘charter’d’
each
‘charter’d’ thames
‘Marks of weakness, marks of woe
stanza 2
In every cry of every Man, In every Infants cry of fear
‘Mind-forged manacles’
stanza 3
Every blackning Church appalls
‘Runs in blood down Palace walls ‘
stanza 4
‘youthful harlot’
‘Blasts the new-born Infants tear’
‘Blights’ and ‘plagues’
‘marriage hearse’
