London Flashcards
What is the rhyme scheme of ‘London’ and what does it show?
A, B rhyme scheme
The form has a childlike simplicity-
Blake is writing this as a political, protest poem so he writes it in a way that is so memorable to get his message across
Summarise ‘London’ in one sentence
‘London’ by William Blake portrays the social and political injustices of urban life, depicting the pervasive effects of power and oppression on individuals within the cityscape.
Analyse this key quote
’I wander through each chartered street,
Near where the chartered Thames does flow’
It suggests that in London, nothing is free and everything is owned- even nature
The repetition of ‘chartered’ implies the control forced on nature and society in London.
Analyse this key quote
’The mind-forged manacles I hear’
+ explode
Blake suggests that people are socially and emotionally shackled by the metaphor of ‘mind-forged manacles’, representing their imprisonment.
The homonym ‘forged’ has connotations to faking something. Here Blake us suggesting that our belief in the social hierarchy and class system is a false/ fake way of looking at the world
Analyse this key quote
’And blights with plagues the marriage hearse.’
+ explode
At the time, marriage was a pillar of society therefore, Owen uses the oxymoron of ‘Marriage hearse’ to complain about the behaviour of the men who were killing off their marriage through prostitution.
The ‘plagues’ is a reference to STD’s which were incurable at that time.
