London- Blake

summary

poetic speaker describes his journay though London, noticing how all look mindless like they can’t think for themselves. Hears the poor and mistreated contrasting their misery with the privilege of the rich. Pointing out the corruption of the industrial revolution and the misery it caused in cities.

form/structure

very regular form and structure of four quatrains showing the accepted norm of loss and freedom (both literally and metaphorically) and how commonplace corruption is.

the sense of control reflects the expereince of living in a industrialised city as a minority thrive while the majority suffer.

mundane and methodical tone spotlights the lack of imaginiation and personal freedom- things important to a romantic like Blake.

literary context

Blake considered one of the first English romantics.

“London” first in the 1794 Songs of Experience- part two to song of innocence. two part book explores what Blake called "the two contrary states of the human soul."

the illuminated manuscripts deepen meaning of the words, reinforced by how these were made by a “infernal method”.

became famous posthumously.

historical context

Blake known for critiquing the flawed 19th century society. notably critical of the industrial revoultion as it heighten class differences and depleted the cournyside of workers. workers also exploited during this time with children (3-4 year olds suffocated while chimmny-sweeps) and few worker regulations. he saw these societal changes as threats to humanity overall.

setting

late 18th century London- by this time rapid industrialisation changed character of city excavated by the economic and social hardship empathising the effort for survival amongst everyone as all sacrifice their bodies daily. suggests that London is an unforgiving city with danger at every corner.

links between poverty and authority represent the speaker’s theory that explains London’s misery (according to the speaker).

speaker

“I” non-specific, yet still makes poem a first-person perspective who is distrustful of modern London.

London represents a collective failure of the human mind to the speaker as city lacks freedom.

device of oxymoron

• “And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse” two words clash together- love and death creating unsettling image arguing that oppressive urban situations don’t have space for love. compounded by how death effects everything, and is “blighted with plagues” gesturing towards the commonality of STDs in London (literal link between love and death).

rhyme shcheme

simple ABAB to show regularity and draws attention to misery of urban life.

caesura device

• “marks of weakness, marks of woe.” shows how deeply embedded misery is in Londoner’s lives and the brief respite of a caesura only results in more pain. absence of “and” makes it asyndeton implying that no energy to say extra word.

• “In every voice: in every ban” colon functions as way to understand and point towards the cause of the suffering as all in pain are linked with “every ban” as London’s misery result of restrictions and limitations imposed by the human mind as the caesura highlights.

device of metonymy

• “Runs in blood down Palace wall”- palace is stand in for monarchy pinpointing origin of suffering for soldiers as moncahrcy controls where soldiers go helping them suffer. also creates a tone of removed distance around monarchy and the indirect mention mirrors their inability to take responabilirty for daily suffering of Londoners.

metaphor device

• “mind-forged manacles” metaphor for the social and pyschological oppression which comes from their location. compounded by how its “mind-forged” as the restrictions and restraint result of internal things showing the potency of urban life.

• “marriage hearse” links death and love.

enjambent device

• contistent enjmabnet and absence of punctuation in stanza 4 emphasis how London’s suffering has no end in sight with no sense of closure.

• “How the chimney-sweepers cry/ Every blacking Church appalls,” reveals a orgin behind the suffering, the church.

anaphora device

• “In every cry of every Man,/ In every infants cry of fear, /In every voice: in every ban,” emphasis placed on the abudencey of suffering in London as its inescapable. underscores how all effected by London with the same root cause of psychological oppression that are “in every” London corner.

theme of corruption of childhood

Blake believed that adult life corrupted innconce of childhood; that we’re all born with the tools to be happy. images of childhood suffering reinforce how children suffer due to urban life and corrupt industrial society.

• “Blasts the new-born Infants tear” suggests urban babies suffering from birth as born to prostitutes so stuck in cycle of misery that is integral to urban environment.

• “In every Infants cry of fear” babies always crying cos can sense misery of world so are fearful of it.

• “How the chimney sweepers cry” profession dominated by kids. so like adults who use their bodies (prosititues), children do as well to surieve.

theme of oppression of urban life

synoptically poem argues that urban environment inherently oppressive denying happiness to residents. highly urban area which focuses on commerce and general economic activity prerequisite for misery.

• “Near where the charter’d Thames does flow” as rivers often symbol of freedom emphasis their lack of personal control over their own lives.

• “in every voice” underscores how the pain is felt by everyone.

• what people do to surieve emphasised e.g. the harlots and soldiers both put health/bodies on line paradoxically to stay alive.

• “youthful Harlots” and “new-born infants” turns image of younger generation/new life into poverty initiation suggesting that London’s poverty is cyclical.