London and Checking out me history Flashcards
Which quote shows the theme of oppression by the authority in both the poems?
- “Blind me to me own identity”– The People in power blinding Agard to his culture and history
- “The mind-forged manacles I hear” – The manacles represent the control the people in power have over the people of London
Which quote shows the theme of control in each poem?
“Dem tell me what dem want to tell me” – colloquialism - Non-conforming
“I wander through each chartered street”– Chartered shows control
Which quote shows the difference in the message between each poem?
“Carving out me identity”
“marks of weakness, marks of woe”
Difference in hopefulness for the future
What does the structure of London show?
London has a cylical structure, as suffering is the focus at the start and end of the poem. The quatrains also show how the suffering is repetitive, and nothing is being done to change it. This is a result of human power
What is different about the form of each poem?
London is a sonnet in iambic pentameter whilst Checking out me history is oral poetry with no real rhyming scheme
What is the overall comparison between these poems?
Both London and Checking Out Me History are poems that express the poets anger towards the misuse of power by those with authority, but the main difference is that while Agard shows a solution, Blake does not, showing how they have different viewpoints on if it is possible to change.
