London - William Blake Flashcards
What is the poem about and what is the speaker trying to do?
-Clear attack on all the institutions that contribute to the poverty and suffering in London.
-Wants to expose the Bourgeoisie who protect themselves at the expense of the lower class.
What events are detrimental to the poem?
-The Industrial Revolution
-The class divides between rich and poor
When was the IR?
1760-1840
When was London published?
1794
What in the backdrop could explain why Blake was so critical of the Institutions of London?
-Exploitation of the Poor for the Rich’s gain
-The French Revolution and the fight against Louis 16th and Marie Antoinette
What things were happening at the time in London when the poem was written?
-Child Labour
-Prostitution
-Low morality
-Social divides
What was Blake concerned about in Society?
-Social morality > caused fear for the future of society
Is Blake critical of the church?
-Yes as he is against organised religion due to the corruption he believes it causes
Is Blake an atheist?
No as he was very spiritual
Why does the rhythm switch from iambic to trochaic in the last line of each stanza?
-Emphasises the sense of suffering and cruelty
-Stresses the misery and ownership
-Shows there is that possibility of freeing yourself from this constant regime as shown through the shift in rhythm
What is the significance in using ‘man’ and ‘infant’ in stanza 1?
-Shows cycle of misery remains through age and development
-Inescapable feeling
-Juxtaposition > weakens them both
Why does Blake use ‘infant”?
-Those who are “born equal and free but everywhere in chains” -Rousseau
-Most innocent are affected
-Born into this cruel world
Why does Blake use ‘man’?
-Idea of the common man
-the idea of the collective
-Call together people
-Collective and shared suffering > loss of identity
Why does Blake use the anaphora of “In every” in stanza 2?
-Emphasise the exacerbation of Blake at the sheer inequality
-The plosives mirror his emotion
What feeling does the Iambic rhythm create?
-Dreary and unending > symbolises poverty
Why does the Poem start with “wander”?
-Homophone for wonder > Creates introspective tone
What does ‘Charter’d’ in stanza 1 symbolise?
-The adj creates the idea of restriction and control
What does the Juxtaposition of line and one and two in stanza one symbolise?
-How the Thames is restricted yet the water is free to flow
-Idea that they may be restricted but revolutionary ideas are free to flow
What is the significance of using ‘mark(s)’?
Suffering so strong it becomes physical
What does ‘mind-forg’d manacles I hear’ explore?
-Those of higher power want to prevent revolutionary ideas
-Mental oppression due to society imprisonment by the ruling elite and institutions
-Hear > suggests how inescapable these metaphorical chains are and hard to ignore
What type of words are ‘cry’ and ‘chimney sweepers’ in Stanza three and why are they significant?
-Plosives > create this harshness
-Chimney sweeps are young children who are exploited for the gain of others
Why does Blake describe the church as ‘Black’ning’?
Metaphor for the evil and corruption of the church
Why would Blake’s description of the church in stanza 3 be controversial at the time?
-He openly accuses the church of hypocrisy
-Juxtaposes the innocence and purity of a church
-Goes against Christian beliefs
What is meant by “hapless soldiers sigh’ in stanza 3?
-sibilance creates a sympathetic tone
-hapless > unfortunate
-Unfortunate that they are dragged into a regime which use them for their own gain and do not protect them
What is meant by ‘Runs in blood down Palace walls’ in stanza 3?
-sacrificial nature of the monarchy
-Accusatory tone “blood on your hands”
-Plosives depict his anger and frustration with the system
-Revolutionary mindset
Why does Blake use a cyclical structure in the poem using the ‘infant’ and idea of wandering through the streets?
-Creates the idea of perpetual suffering, on going pain and torment
-Perpetual misery passed from the mother to the baby > follows that child throughout life
Why is “midnight streets” significant?
-Night so that these actions are concealed from the day and understanding
Why is “Youthful Harlot’s curse” significant in stanza 4?
-Prostitution causing STDS > married men sleeping with prostitutes
Why is “New born infant’s tear” significant in stanza 4?
-cyclical > endless crying children > children suffer the most at the hands of poverty and corruption
Why is “Blights with plagues the marriage hearse” significant in stanza 4?
-the destruction of the tradition of marriage
-“Married to death bed”
-The end stop slows down the pace which adds to a somber tone and makes the reader reflect on life and the society we live in
