London Flashcards
(20 cards)
Who wrote London?
William Blake
When was London published?
1794, in songs of experience
What is London’s main theme?
Oppression and suffering in industrial London
What poetic form does London follow?
Four quatrains (four-line stanzas) with a regular ABAB rhyme scheme.
What does “chartered” in chartered street mean?
Controlled or regulated, implying restriction and loss of freedom.
What does Blake criticize in London?
Institutions like monarchy, church, and government for causing misery.
What literary technique is used in mind-forged manacles?
Metaphor, symbolizing mental oppression.
What mood does the poem create in London?
Dark, hopeless, and bleak.
Which word is repeated to emphasize suffering in London?
“Cry.”
How does Blake present children in London?
As victims of poverty and neglect.
What does Blake say about the Church?
It fails to help the poor, described as “black’ning.”
How does Blake describe soldiers?
Their blood is metaphorically running down palace walls, blaming the monarchy.
What is the significance of the “Harlot” in stanza four?
Symbolizes the corruption of society and the consequences of poverty.
How does Blake use contrast in the final stanza?
Innocence vs. disease, marriage vs. death.
What does “the marriage hearse” symbolize?
The decay of traditional values and the loss of happiness in society.
What type of poem is London?
A dramatic monologue with a social critique.
Why does Blake use a strict structure?
To reflect the rigid control over people’s lives.
How does repetition reinforce meaning in London?
It emphasizes the widespread suffering and entrapment.
What does the “youthful Harlot” spread?
Disease and suffering, highlighting moral decay.
How are London and Ozymandias similar?
Both London and Ozymandias critique power and oppression, highlighting how rulers and institutions inevitably fall, leaving behind only suffering or decay.
