london Flashcards
(7 cards)
message
everyone is sad and troubled, held captive (inescapability of power), caused by those in power (church and land owners)
context
born in london, wrote about rebelling of misue of power
Repitition
“i wander through each CHARTERED street, near where the CHARTERED thames does flow and “mark in every face” “marks of… marks of…”
Irony as we the forcing of human power and control onto something natural “flow” juxtaposition between power of nature and power of man
Repition of mark further highlights inescapable nature of london
Strucutre
repetitive strucutre with ABAB rhyme scheme, iambic pentameter with some exceptions and cyclical structure where first two stanzas focus on suffering then stanza 3 shows causes but goes back to suffering in last stanza
Repetitive structure and mostly iambic pentameter represents the relentless repetitive and overhwelming suffering in the city.
Cyclical strucutre represents the inescapable fate of those in the city as it goes round in circles.
A line not in iambic pentameter: “marks of weakness marks of woe” - seven syllables. The line is depicting the weakness of those in london whilst the LINE ITSELF BECOMES WEAK; it contains less syllables than the previous lines
Reference to french revolution (political allusion?)
“and the hapless soldiers sigh / runs in blood down palace walls”
French revolution was an act to overthrow monarchy and striving for political freedom. However, the French Revolution devolved into bloodshed and chaos,
bringing home the evil of mankind. There was so much bloodshed that the phrase ‘blood was running down the walls’ became popular. Blake is suggesting that the unhappiness
of the British soldier could lead to a similar uprising if its causes were ignored. The reference to palace suggests that the monarchy is to blame too.
Oxymoron
“the marriage hearse” (hearse: a vehicle for conveying the coffin at a funeral)
Happy image of mariage to imagery of death, represents that what was so good – the london of old is destined to be destroyed.
Imagery
“blackening church appalls”
The use of the verb ‘blackning’ suggest how the Church, which was meant to be a holy and humanitarian institution, is spiritually and morally blackened at the condoning of suffering and causing more people, such as child labourers, to suffer. Also a direct reference to the child labourers who spent up to 19 hours a day swarmed in soot. The verb ‘appalls,’ could also indicate how the church is heartless and has had life sucked out of them with the greed and exuberance of power.
