london quotes

Question 1

analyse the opening line: ‘I w_____ t___’ e____ c______’_ s_____’

Answer 1

‘I wander thro’ each charter’d street’
- begins the journey into the dark side of London
- the verb ‘wander’ sounds purposeless (creates a helpless tone) and could reflect how he feels powerless to change what’s happening/ the poverty
- ‘each charter’d street’ could suggest the whole city is affected not just one area

Question 2

analyse the repetition of the verb ‘m____’ in ‘M____ of w_______, m____ of w__’

Answer 2

marks’ in ‘Marks of weakness, marks of woe’

• repetition emphasises feeling of bleakness — despair affects everyone and there’s no relief from it (also for the repetition of ‘every’ in the second stanza)
• ‘woe’ is an abstract noun that means great sorrow which further expresses their emotional pain, along with the physical pain shown through their ‘weakness’

Question 3

analyse ‘b____’____ C_____’

Answer 3

‘black’ning Church’ - seems to be angry at all forms of power — describing the church as ‘black’ning’ could suggest that it’s corrupt or that it is tarnished by its failure to look after people. it’s also a grim visual image of the ugliness caused by the Industrial Revolution. The colour black is also a symbol for death so when compared to a ‘Church’ it’s oxymoronic, suggesting even the church is becoming immoral. The ‘Chimney-sweeper’s cry’ metaphorically blackens the churches linking innocence with death to enforce the injustice.

Question 4

analyse ‘R____ in b____ d____ P_____ w____’

Answer 4

‘Runs in blood down Palace walls’ - might be a reference to the French Revolution — sounds like he thinks ordinary people suffer while those in the palace are protected behind walls. To Blake, the cries and wails of the inhabitants of London symbolically stain the city itself, the vivid use of sound language leaves a lasting impression of suffering on the reader. - he believes it’s the monarchy’s fault for the death of the soldiers

Question 5

analyse ‘b______ w____ p______ the M_______ h_____’

Answer 5

‘blights with plague the Marriage hearse’ - ‘blights with plagues’ - powerful language of illness and disease. Destruction is implied by ‘blights’, and ‘plagues’ hints at something that’s uncomfortable and destined to affect lots of people. ‘Marriage hearse’ - oxymoron — links the happy image of marriage with death. Suggests that everything has been destroyed.