London

Question 1

Anger

Answer 1

Blake uses emotive language and repition. Anger towards monarchy and church (people in power).

“Every black’ning church”

“Palace walls”

Question 2

Hopelessness and confinement

Answer 2

Blake emphasised that the people are trapped by their own attitudes and they are also to blame. Also they can’t help themselves.

“Mind-forged manacles”
Manacles- handcuffs

Question 3

Form

Answer 3

Dramatic monologue

The ABAB rhyme scheme is unbroken reflecting the controlled and relentless misery of the society

Tee-dum rhythm - someone walking through the streets

Question 4

Repetition

Answer 4

“In every cry of every man,
In every infants cry of fear
In every voice, in every ban”

Echoes constriction and emphasises feeling of bleakness and shows how they are trapped in every way

Question 5

Uses of Senses

Answer 5

Includes sights and sounds of the city.

First stanza - sight
Second stanza - hears
Third and fourth - both plus emotional

Question 6

Contrast

Answer 6

“In every infants cry of fear”
Infants cry supposed to be of happiness rather than fear

“Youthful harlots curse”
Contrasts between innocence of youth and badness of prostitution

“Marriage hearse”
Oxymoron between marriage and death. Everything has been destroyed

Shows how society has affected everything and nothing is pure or innocent anymore

Question 7

Context

Answer 7

Blake wrote the songs of Innocence and of experience

London is part of songs of experience and looks at how society is corrupt and innocence is lost.

Question 8

Ambiguity

Answer 8

“Black’ning church”

• church blackening the soul
• chimney soot

“Chartered”

• freedom
• confinement