London - William Blake Flashcards
‘ I wander through each chartered street’
Chartered meaning to document, is a metaphor for prison-like situation the city has found itself in
Over view on London
William Blake comments on the various things he sees, pointing out the pain and suffering experienced within the city
‘How the chimney sweepers cry’
With children as young as four being forced up chimneys, Blake draws attention to their suffering
What form is the poem in?
Frantic monologue - the first person narrator speaks passionately and personally about the suffering he sees
The ABAB rhyme scheme is unbroken and seems to echo the relentless misery of the city
How does Blake use emotive words/images within the poem
He uses power, emotive words and images to reinforce the horror of the situation.
E.G ‘chimney sweepers’ were usually young boys- this is an emotive image of child labour
Structure of the poem
The narrator presents relentless images of downtrodden, deprived people. The first two stanzas focus on people he sees and hears, before the focus shifts in stanza 3 to institutions he holds responsible. The final stanza returns to looking at people, showing how even newborn babies are affected
‘Every Black’ning church appals’
Blake identified as Christian but this is a metaphor suggesting he felt the church was corrupt and perhaps a focus of evil
What is the poem ‘london’ about?
- Blake is describing a walk, round the city of London
- He says everywhere he goes people he meet are affected by misery and despair
- This misery seems relentless, no one can escape it
- People in power (like the church, the monarchy and wealthy landowners) seem to be behind the problems, and do nothing to help the people in need
‘Marriage hearse’
Use of an oxymoron to link marriage to death, suggesting the good and pure has been corrupted and perverted in the city of London
