London Flashcards
Themes explored
People and Place
Authority and religious power
Sadness / no hope for future
People and Place quotes
‘In every cry of every man / In every infant’s cry of fear’
‘How the Chimney-sweeper’s cry’
‘youthful harlot’s curse / Blasts the new born infant’s tear’
Authority and religious power quotes
‘each charter’d street’
‘mind-forg’d manacles’
‘black’ning Church appalls’
‘runs in blood down Palace walls’
Sadness quotes
‘Marks of weakness, marks of woe’
‘Soldier’s sigh’
‘blights with plagues the Marriage hearse’
‘How the Chimney-sweeper’s cry’
‘Chimney-sweepers’ were typically children so this image is particularly emotive. It depicts the image of child labour. ‘Cry’ foregrounds their sadness and unsatisfied lives.
‘youthful harlot’s curse / Blasts the new born infant’s tear’
The placement of the adjective ‘youthful’ with the noun ‘harlot’ (meaning prostitute) is extremely emotive, as it is young women who are selling themselves, reflecting the truly poor living conditions.
‘each charter’d street’
‘Charter’d’ means mapped out and planned, thus connoting the idea that the scenes described are controlled and regimented by higher authorities. The image highlights how the Church has the power to help, but is allowing such conditions to exist.
‘mind-forg’d manacles’
The compound adjective ‘mind-forg’d’ creates the image of mental control, with the noun ‘manacles’ meaning chains/ restrictions. Blake is highlighting how the Church and other authorities are choosing to ignore the conditions that exist and are not maximising their power.
‘runs in blood down Palace walls’
The higher authorities (Palace) don’t do much to help the lower citizens who suffer as a result of them not giving support.
‘Soldier’s sigh’
The sibilance here reflects the ‘s’ sound, sounding particularly sadness. The noun ‘soldier’ connotes strength, power and sacrifice, but here, their enthusiasm and fight has been abandoned. The noun ‘sigh’ suggests very little hope even for the most brave and strong
Form / Structure
Poem composed of 4 quatrains
Regular rhyme scheme of ABAB
Repetition is important feature within poem
Creates a huge sense of control and discipline
Context
Romantic poet who played important role in Romantic movement
May’ve wrote from experience as he walked through London
Published just after French Revolution of 18th century: time of political upheaval
Graphic artist
