London Flashcards
Who wrote it?
William Blake
When was it published?
1794
As part of a collection “songs of innocence and experience” which aimed to show the “two contrary states of the human soul”: innocence=positive tone-love childhood and nature | experience=negative tone-danger child labour prostitution and poverty
Who was Blake?
An English poet and artist who held quite radical and political views for the time
What did Blake believe in?
Social and racial equality, and questioned the church’s teachings
What was the poem inspired by?
The French Revolution 1789:
People revolted against the monarchy and aristocracy
He wanted to encourage a revolution due to the poor state of London
Why could Blake write truthfully about the suffering?
He lived in London
What are the poet’s attitudes?
The mockery of love and care that should characterise the Christian religion
Expressing there will be a revolt unless conditions change
He sees urbanisation to be dangerous at that time
List all the techniques
FORM:
Dramatic monologue - 1st person narrative
Regular ABAB rhyme scheme
4 stanzas, 4 lines each & reg rhythm
Biblical tone
STRUCTURE: Enjambment FLI LLI End stopped line Repetition of sounds Stanza 2
LANGUAGE: Negative words Oxymoron Repetition Metaphorical/literal adjectives Emotive imagery Alliteration Personification Contrast - ambiguity
Recite your introduction sentence
London, published in 1794 as part of William Blake’s collection ‘Songs of innocence and experience’, is about the suffering and pain in London, which aimed to show the “two contrary states of the human soul”: innocence of youth and love, and experience of danger and poverty. Blake could write truthfully about this as he lived in London.
Recite your conclusion
Blake was an English poet and artist who believed in social and racial equality and questioned the church’s teachings. The poem was inspired by the French Revolution 1789 where people revolted against the monarchy, and by revealing the truth of the suffering and mocking the love and care that should characterise the Christian religion, he intended to spark a change.
