London Flashcards
(10 cards)
What is London about ?
The speaker wanders through the streets of London and comments on his observations. He sees despair in the faces of the people he meets and hears fear and repression in their voices. The speaker openly or the estore phopch,
When was it published ?
1794
What is the context ?
Published as part of the songs of experience and innocence : it is part of the songs of experience reflecting the more negative aspects of life
Blake lived and worked in London during the victorian era - a great time of poverty and industrial change
Blake lost faith in religion – this was due to the Church refusing to
help the children that suffered (homeless/poor/forced to work) – a
frequent theme in his poetry!
Blake lived in London – so was well placed to comment on what
was happening in 18th century London.
What are the possible links and themes to London ?
Welfare and living conditions: living space
Power and control : Hawk roosting and Ozymandias
What is the structure of London ?
Blake uses a lot of repetition which could imply the cycle of poverty and that there is no escape for the lower social classes.
Blake begins the poem London by just observing the streets. However, as the poem progresses, it is evident he is angry about the institutions that should support the poor people such as the church, the monarchy and the government. The poem ends negatively with implications of death.
What does the
opening of the poem “ I wandered thro each charte’d street “
It shows that it is written in first person and it is a first hand account to the problems in London
It also suggested the poem
is structured as a journey
What does the reposition of charter’d suggest ?
That London has been mapped out and controlled by the government so much so that even a freely running river Thames has been described at the “charter’d Thames” emphasising the current terrible problem which is how people have been robbed of their rights
What does the repitió of “every” in stanza two represent?
It implies the size of the problem because it impacts everyone from children to adults. No one can escape poverty
How does Blake place blame on the church and on the state ?
“Black’ning church” - Blake
is angry at the church for not helping the poverty in London. By using the adjective “Black’ning” it gives of negative connotations of the church being corrupt since it just be their job to help the
people in need.
He also places blame on the state by saying “Runs on blood down palace walls” - this shows that Blake thinks it’s the monarchy’s fault for the innocent soliders’ deaths because he believes they are dying in pointless wars
What is the impact of how Blake ends the poem ?
He ends it on a negative tone :
When he said “blights with plagues” the word plague could suggest that there is no level of cure for the level of suffering and pain that is attacking london
He also says “the marriage hearse” blake ends with this
oxymoron to create an ominous tone. It seems to be implying that there is no happy ending for poor
people
and being born into a low social called equals
to pain
and death
