London by William Blake Flashcards
when was London published?
1794
Who was William Blake?
English romantic poet
who had radical, social and political views
what did he believe in?
social and radical equality
Key themes in London
power of humans
loss and Absence
anger/hopelessness
individual experience
Social status divide
What person is London written: 1st, 2nd or 3rd
1st
what is a way to describe This poem
Dramatic monologue
what is the rhyme scheme of this poem
ABAB
What is the analyse of the ABAB Structure
This strict ABAB rhyme is unbroken through the poem echoes the relentless misery of the city
no one wants to break out of this routine (repressed society)
summary of this poem
The narrator is describing a walk around the city of London.
everywhere he goes the people he meets are affected by the misery and despair. Misery seems relentless no one can escape even the young and innocent
what does Blake think of the people in power
Seem to be behind the v problems, doing nothing to help the people in need
what does stanza 1+2 focus on
focuses on the people he sees and hears
what does stanza 3 focus on
shifts to focus on the institutions he holds responsible for this misery
Who are the people in charge
The monarchy, the church, the wealthy landowners
Whta is the focus in stanza 4
shifts back to the people, focusing on the innocence
what two techniques does William Blake use
sensory description- visual + aural
rhetorical question- persuade his point of view( reinforce the horror of the situation)
