London

Question 1

William Blake

Answer 1

Was published in 1794 - Blake was an English poet and artist who held quite radical social and political views for the time - he believed in social and racial equality and questioned the churches teachings

Question 2

Form

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Structure

Answer 3

• 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 4

Rhetoric

Answer 4

The narrator uses rhetorical language to persuade you of his point of view — he uses powerful, emotive words and images to reinfarce the horror of the situation. Repetition is used to emphasise the number of people affected, and to show how society needs to change.

Emotive language - “chimney sweepers cry” normally children

“Black’Ning church” - Seems to be angry at all forms of power — describing the church as “black’ning” could suggest that it is corrupt or that it is tarnished by its failure to look after people. It’s also a grim visual image of the ugliness caused by the Industrial Revolution

“Runs in blood down palace walls”
- Might be a reference to the French Revolution sounds like he thinks ordinary people suffer while those in the palace are protected behind walls.

“In every … X3” - Repetition emphasises feeling of bleakness — despair affects everyone and there’s no relief from it.

“Plagues” - every one is affected by dies ease and and it’s inevitable

Question 5

Use of the senses

Answer 5

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 last two stanzas combine the visual and aural.

“Infants cry of fear… I hear “ - the speaker hears various distressing noises making his experience seem vivid and hellish experience

Question 6

Contrasts

Answer 6

These are used to show how everything is affected and nothing pure or innocent remains.

“Marriage hearse” - oxymoron - links the happy image of marriage and death. Suggests that everything has been destroyed

“Blasts the newborns infants ear” - the innocence of newborn babies is lost immediately society’s damages it’s members

Question 7

Anger

Answer 7

Emotive language and repetition show the narrator’s anger at the situation.
He mentions “every black’ning church” and “palace walls”, suggesting he’s especially angry at the people in power, who could do something to change things but don’t.

Question 8

Hopelessness

Answer 8

The “mind-forged manacles” suggest that the people themselves are also to blame — they’re trapped by their own attitudes. They appear hopeless because they’re not able (or not even trying) to help themselves.