London

Question 1

Poem’s form

Answer 1

This is a dramatic monologue - the first person narrator speaks passionately and personally about the suffering he sees. The ABAB ryhme scheme is unbroken and seems to echo the relentless misery of the city. The regular rythm could reflect the sound of his feet as he trudges around.

Question 2

Poem’s structure

Answer 2

The narrator presents relentless images of downtrodden, deprived people. The first two stanzas focus on people he sees and hears, before the focus shifts in stanza three to the institutions he holds responsible. The final stanza returns to looking at people, showing how even newborn babies are affected.

Question 3

Synaesthesia in the poem

Answer 3

The poem includes the depressing sights and sounds of the city - the first stanza is about what he sees, the second what he hears, and the lasst two stanzas combine the visual and aural.

Question 4

Poem’s themes

Answer 4

• Power of man
• Power of institutions