London Flashcards
Beginning quote 1
“the charter’d Thames does flow”
Even natural features are under human control.
Juxtaposition between ‘charter’d’ and ‘flow’ suggest difference in how different classes are treated.
Beginning quote 2
“marks of weakness, marks of woe.”
The repetition of ‘marks’ suggests the bleakness and despair that everyone is facing. This is mirrored in the next stanza with ‘every’ being repeated.
Middle quote 1
“Infant’s cry of fear”
The fact an infant who hasn’t even experienced the real world yet is crying demonstrates the dire conditions everyone was facing.
Middle quote 2
“the black’ning Church appalls”
The Church is presented as unhelpful to the deprived here, showing how even part of society has been corrupted. This links to how Blake didn’t receive any help from the church.
End quote 1
“Runs in blood down Palace walls”
Only those highest in society are protected everyone else is left to fend for themselves.
End stanza
Use of contrast:
- “youthful Harlot”
- “Marriage hearse”
Nothing pure or innocent remains, everything has been corrupted.
Who is the author of London?
William Blake
Context of London
- Written in Victorian London, a place full of prostitution, drugs and social class divides.
- Blake had a pessimistic view on the world and emphasised this in his poems.
What form in London written in?
A dramatic monologue, with a ABAB rhyme scheme showing the relentless nature of life in London.
