Poetry: London Flashcards
Which themes are present in the poem?
Pain and suffering
Negative emotions
Sense of place
Which poems can be linked with this poem?
Living space
Hawk roosting
Ozymandias
Context Point 1
London was written during the industrial revolution. Cities like London gre rapidly but it bought about poor living conditions, pollution and increased social inequality.
Context Point 2
Blake had strong beliefs that challenged the Church, Monarchy and Government. He thought that these groups caused harm to ordinary people especially the poor
Whys: 1
Wanted to critcise the greed and imbalance of the power that the Industrial Revolution created between wealthy factory owners and their workers
Whys: 2
He uses London to criticise the monarchy, church and government for making life worse for the lower classes by taking advantage of them and treating them badly
What is the form like in the poem?
Dramatic monologue
First person narrator
How can the form of the poem relate to the content of the poem?
The use of first person and monologue allows Blake to speak passionately and personally about the suffering he sees
What is the structure like in the poem?
The narrator presents relentless images of downtrodden, deprived people
First 2 stanzas focus on people he sees/hears
Shift in stanza 3 to the institutions he holds responsible
Final staza looks at people again at how newborns are affected
Wht is the poem about?
Describes a walk around the city of London. He says that everywhere he gpes, people are affected by misery despair. People in power seem to be behind the problems.
What is the rhyming like in the poem?
ABAB rhyme scheme is unbroken and seems to echo the relentless misery of the city.
Analyse this quote and how it’s significant to the poem with the theme of Sense of Place:
“I wander through each charter’d street”
The speaker feels confined and restricted within the streets of London which are mapped and controlled
Repetition: repetition of charter’d emphasises feeling of control and restriction indicating freedom is limited
Analyse this quote and how it’s significant to the poem with the theme of Pain and Suffering:
“And mark in every face I meet / Marks of weakness, marks of woe”
The speaker observes the sadness and despair in the faces of people he encounters,suggesting widespread suffering.
Repetition : repetition of marks shows how suffering is visible
Imagery: marks of weakness/marks of woe vividly describe the physical and emotional impact of suffering
Analyse this quote and how it’s significant to the poem with the theme of pain and suffering:
“In every cry of every man, / in every infant’s cry of fear”
The speaker hears the cries of both adults and children, suggesting that suffering exists for every stage of life
Anaphora: ‘In Every’ emphasises the widespread nature of suffering
Juxtaposition: the cries of both men and infants highlight that suffering starts early and persists through life
Analyse this quote and how it’s significant to the poem with the theme of Negative emotions:
“But most through midnight streets I hear / How the youthful harlot’s curse”
The speaker hears the curse of a young prostitute representing the corruption and moral decay present in the city
Juxtaposition: the innocence of youth contrasted with the harshness of a curse highlights the moral decline of society
Analyse this quote and how it’s significant to the poem with the theme of Pain and suffering:
“Blasts the new-born infant’s tear”
The speaker suggests that the infant’s natural tears, symbolising innocence, are corrupted by the harsh conditions of London.
Meaphor: the ‘blast’ suggests that external forces (corrupt society) are causing suffering to even the most innocent
Analyse this quote and how it’s significant to the poem with the theme of negative emotions:
“Every black’ning church appalls.”
The church, symbolising religion and supposed purity, is tainted by corruption, causing disgust
Metaphor: black’ning suggests moral decay, implying that the church has lost its purity or righteousness
Analyse this quote and how it’s significant to the poem with the theme of Sense of Place:
“How the chimney-sweepers cry / every black’ning church appalls”
The cry of chimney sweepers represents the suffering of the poor, contrats with the church that is supposed to offer solace but is instead corrupt
Symbolism: the chimney sweeper represents the oppressed working class, while the church symbolises societal institutions that fail to help
