London - William Blake Flashcards
when was Blake alive
when the 18th century bled into the 19th century
what was Blake famous for
his poetry, paintings and printmaker
why didn’t he have a good reputation when he was alive
because he held views which at the time seemed peculiar
True or false?
Blake was a londoner
true
he was born, grew up in, and spent most of his life in London helping the poem to feel realistic
how long was Blake in school for
until he was 10 and had learnt to read and write
what was the religion of Blake and his family
protestant
what were Blakes two major books of poetry called
songs of innocence and songs of experience
which book does the poem London come from
songs of experience which critiscied and attacked the institutions in the city
when was London written
during the industrial revolution which caused mass change in the city
what is the importance of the title “London”
it establishes the poems topic
the title lacks detail but suggests it will describe London how it is
“charter’d”
- could refer to the amount of trade occurring
- political and economic control - a document that expresses ownership of land
“charter’d thames”
- Blake mocks the economic control of the Industrial Revolution, as the thames (nature) is not something that can be controlled
- however it could also be seen that even nature is being controlled and that shows how corrupt the institutions were
what is the importance of “charter’d” being repeated
- make increasing amount of control feel inescapable - it covers both street and water
“marks of weakness, marks of woe”
this creates a strong negative image and that people are made weak and sad by living in London
“the mind forged manacles I hear”
- the control is mental, and therefore total
- the people of London are being brainwashed
repetition of “every”
emphasizes the misery of all the Londoners
“every blackening Church appalls”
Blackening:
- the walls are turning black
- corruption
Appalls:
- shock and disgust
- turn pale
“runs in blood down palace walls”
This image suggests that the monarchy is responsible for the negative impact it is having on people
this could relate to the French Revolution
Who does William Blake blame and - using context- why?
Blake blames the institutions and rejects authority
“youthful Harlot’s”
juxtaposition between purity and sordidness highlights how London can corrupt everything
“Marriage herse”
this image is oxymoronic and could be suggesting that London can destroy the purest thing
“blasts the new born infants tear”
image suggests that Londons corruption is reaching newborns. It is inevitable and inescapable
“blights with plagues”
by suggesting London is like a disease, Blake suggests that it will corrupt many people and is incurable
How is the poems idea of control and power reflected in its structure?
regular format - 4 stanzas of 4 lines
strong ABAB rhyme scheme
the rhythm of the poem shows how control can lead to weakness
