london-oppression+power abuse

‘I wander through each chartered street, / Near where the chartered Thames does flow’-

• Blake critiques the capitalist system's corruption of nature and humanity. The controlled "Thames" symbolizes how industrialization imposes unnatural restrictions on organic, free-flowing elements. The imagery of the "chartered" streets also reflects how personal freedom is stifled by commerce and bureaucracy.

‘And mark in every face I meet / Marks of weakness, marks of woe’

• Blake's use of the repetition of ‘marks’ displays physical and emotional suffering, indicating that the act of witnessing the city's misery leaves its own scar on the observer. The cyclical structure of alliteration of the ‘w’ sound mirrors the unending nature of suffering, portraying London as a place of inescapable human affliction.

‘Mind- forged manacles’

• The metaphor encapsulates the notion that oppression is not only physical but also psychological. The metaphor suggests that the inhabitants of London are imprisoned by their own internalized acceptance of suffering, highlighting how societal norms and ideologies create mental enslavement. Blake critiques the way people’s imaginations and capacity for free thought are constrained by systemic oppression.

‘How the Chimney-sweeper's cry / Every black'ning church appalls’

• Blake links religious institutions with industrial exploitation. The "black'ning" church suggests both literal soot from industrial pollution and the figurative blackening of its morality. The "Chimney-sweeper's cry" functions as a haunting symbol of innocence lost, contrasting sharply with the Church's indifference. This exposes the Church's failure to live up to its spiritual ideals, implicating it in the systemic suffering.

‘And the hapless soldier's sigh / Runs in blood down palace walls

• Blake uses this image to convey the disparity between the ruling class and the suffering populace. The "blood down palace walls" suggests that the monarchy and aristocracy are figuratively complicit in the bloodshed of their own people. This subtle allusion to the French Revolution serves as both a warning and a critique of the ruling powers.