English 60/80 Flashcards
(60 cards)
How is “London” patterned metrically, and in what way does that rhythm amplify Blake’s critique?
Iambic tetrameter; its steady beat mirrors the relentless, regulated control Blake condemns.
How many quatrains (with an ABAB scheme) structure the poem, and what does this regularity symbolise?
Four; the tight pattern reflects the “chartered” restrictions placed on Londoners.
From whose point of view is the poem narrated?
First-person singular (“I wander”), giving eyewitness authenticity.
Which adjective is repeated to describe both “street” and “Thames,” and what does it imply?
“Chartered” – even nature is owned and controlled by commerce and government.
What word is repeated six times in the opening stanzas, and to what effect?
“Every” – shows misery is universal across ages, classes, jobs.
Explain the metaphor “mind-forg’d manacles.”
People’s thoughts are imprisoned by institutions and internalised oppression.
Quote that exposes Church hypocrisy and explain it.
“Every black’ning Church appalls”- the Church is stained by industrial soot and moral corruption.
Quote that critiques the monarchy and give its meaning.
“Runs in blood down Palace walls” – soldiers’ sacrifices (or looming revolution) taint royal power.
Identify the oxymoron in the final line and its significance.
“Marriage hearse” – new beginnings already doomed by social disease and death.
Who are the “Chimney-sweepers,” and why do they matter?
Orphaned children forced into hazardous labour; symbols of exploited innocence.
What does the “youthful harlot’s curse” probably refer to?
A sexually transmitted infection that ruins families, showing social decay.
Name two major problems Blake highlights.
Poverty and child labour (others include war, disease, hypocrisy).
In what year was the poem published and what era frames its backdrop?
1794 during the Industrial Revolution.
How does the colour image “black’ning” reinforce Blake’s criticism of industry?
Literal soot + symbolic moral darkness spreading over institutions.
How are soldiers portrayed in the phrase “hapless Soldiers’ sigh”?
Their effort feels futile; their blood serves the Palace but changes nothing.
Identify the sound device in “Marks of weakness, marks of woe” and its effect.
Alliteration of w stresses visible, widespread suffering.
Beyond single words, how does Blake’s repetition of structure create meaning?
The unchanging rhythm and pattern evoke monotony and inescapable oppression.
Explain how “chartered streets” demonstrate the theme of control.
The legalistic word shows people’s movements and environment are mapped, owned, monetised.
Summarise Blake’s message in one sentence.
London is trapped in a man-made cycle where institutions chain both body and mind, erasing genuine freedom or joy.
How did the historical moment in which Blake lived and wrote “London” shape the poem’s content and tone?
Written in 1794, when the Industrial Revolution darkened cities and post-Revolution fears tightened authority, Blake channels urban poverty, child labour, and institutional hypocrisy into his bleak vision of London.
What distinctive, pounding beat drives the poem and makes each line feel like a smith’s hammer‑strike or a predator’s prowl?
A heavy trochaic rhythm (stressed–unstressed) that echoes forging and stalking.
Why does Blake spell the creature “Tyger” instead of the modern “Tiger”?
The archaic spelling makes it mythic, timeless and slightly uncanny.
Explain the metaphor “Tyger Tyger, burning bright.”
Likens the animal’s fiery stripes/eyes to living flames, announcing its fierce brilliance.
What two‑word phrase captures the beast’s perfect yet terrifying balance of power and beauty?
“Fearful symmetry.”
