London Quotes Flashcards
(5 cards)
marks in every…
“marks in every face I meet / Marks of weakness, marks of woe”
Method: Repetition, adjective
Analysis: Everyone is affected and it is not a personal experience.
mind-forged…
“mind-forged manacles I hear”
Method: Symbolism, verb
Analysis: Their mind is brainwashed and controlled. They cannot see this control, so they think they are unaffected.
hapless soldiers…
“hapless soldiers sigh / Runs in blood down palace walls”
Method: Enjambment, Personification
Analysis: The soldiers sent to war had no chance to survive. The blood is on the hands of the monarchy.
How the chimney…
“How chimney-sweeper’s cry / Every black’ning church appals”
Method:
Analysis: Blake criticizes the hypocrisy of the Church, which should protect the vulnerable, yet ignores the plight of children forced into dangerous labor as chimney-sweepers. The image of the “black’ning church” symbolizes both the physical pollution of industrialization and the moral corruption of religious institutions.
And blights…
“And blights with plagues the marriage hearse.”
Method: Oxymoron, Symbolism
Analysis: This powerful oxymoron juxtaposes the joy and unity traditionally associated with marriage with the imagery of death and decay in a “hearse.” Blake critiques the moral and physical corruption of society, suggesting that institutions like marriage are tainted by societal issues such as sexually transmitted diseases (“plagues”) and moral degradation, leading to the destruction of love and life.
