London by William Blake (Analysis)

London ANALYSYS I wander thro' each charter'd street, Near where the charter'd Thames does fow, And mark in every ace I meet Marks o weakness, marks o woe.  The poem has a tota o si!teen ines ines which are spit into into " para#raphs with a rhymin# A$A$ pattern thro%#ho%t the poem. In the &rst para#raph it is with sarcasm that ake descri$es the si#hts he sees as he waks thro%#h the streets o London. The repetitive %se o the word (charter'd( stresses ake's ake's an#er at the poitica times and his eein# towards the r%in# casses with their controin# aws and oppressive ways. )e ta%nts in the poem to say that it is not ony every street they want to contro $%t even the *iver Thames which sho%d normay $e ree or a $%t in this case it too is (charter'd(.  The poem oc%ses on the socia and poitica poitica $ack#ro%nd o London and hi#hi#hts di+erences di+erences in the weath o the r%in# casses and the poverty acin# the common man. ree ree speech is c%rtaied to avoid Londoners oowin# the e!ampe o their rench rench co%nterparts. The peope o London are descri$ed as $ein# weak and % o woe as the marks on their aces revea. There is a repetition on the word (marks( which a#ain stresses the despair and tiredness that they seem to $e #oin# thro%#h $eca%se o their oppressed way o ie. ein# a mystica person himse, ake %ses the e!pression (marks o woe( in an amost rei#io%s rei#io%s sense. )e is $ein# the onooker in this poem and as he waks past he can see the weakness and misery marked marked on the aces o the passers d%e to their hepessness at not $ein# a$e to $rin# a$o%t any chan#es in their destiny. In every cry o every man, In every Inant's cry o ear, In every voice, in every $an,  The mind-or#'d manaces manaces I hear. hear.  Tho%#h the eein#s o every man man and chid are s%ppressed, s%ppressed, it is as i the ear and their cries are a%di$e to him as he waks $y. $y. A#ain his mystica side can $e seen $eca%se thro%#ho%t his ietime he was said to have spirit%a visions. Thro%#h their sience, he can sti hear a a  that they want to say $%t cannot, $eca%se o ear o a%thority.  There is ack o ree ree e!pression e!pression and he %ses the word ($an( which which is %ite cear in its meanin# and reveas how peope were %na$e to voice their criticisms on how the co%ntry was $ein# r%ed. No one dared to speak o%t or ear o $ein# imprisoned. The words (ear(, (cry(, ($an(,

and (mind-or#'d manaces( descri$e a peope who are s%+erin# and ri#htened and their eein#s are imprisoned in their own minds. There is repetition o words ike (every( on the &rst three verses to stress these eein#s o $ein# imprisoned and trapped. )ow the /himney-sweeper's cry 0very $ack'nin# /h%rch appas1 And the hapess Sodier's si#h *%ns in $ood down 2aace was In the third para#raph he taks a$o%t the chimney sweeper's and the hapess sodier and his &n#er o $ame points to paces o a%thority ike the /h%rch and the 2aace. The word (appas(, (si#h( and (r%ns in $ood( show a%thority $ein# imm%ne to its common peope who are in distress $%t there seems to $e no comort comin# their way. The chimney sweep represents the destit%te chidren whie the sodier represents the an#%ish o those who had to serve in the army %nder di3c%t conditions.  Their $ood is $ein# spit down the paace was whie the cries o the s%+erin# chidren are $ackin# the /h%rch which sho%d $rin# i#ht to its peope. The com$ination o the hepess on one side and the %nhearin# a%thority on the other is $oth stark and acc%satory in its tone. %t most thro' midni#ht streets I hear )ow the yo%th% )arot's c%rse asts the new-$orn inant's tear, And $i#hts with pa#%es the Marria#e hearse In the &na verse ake's takes on an even more ore$odin# tone as he taks a$o%t the yo%n# #ir who is o%t in the darkness o the ni#ht wakin# the streets. Yo%n# women had to resort to prostit%tion $eca%se o poverty and he can hear her c%rses or what she has to $e p%t thro%#h. )er #rie a+ects the new $orn chid and he %ses power% words ike ($asts( which is a contrast to the #enteness one wo%d %se or a new $orn chid. It is as i he can oresee the di3c%ties the chid wi have to s%+er 4%st ike his mother is doin#. In contrast a rich woman #ettin# married in a carria#e wi $e $i#hted $y this c%rse and her carria#e mi#ht t%rn o%t to $e a hearse. ake is pointin# a &n#er at the rich men who mi#ht %se the services o a prostit%te and then #et married and pass on disease to their wives. )e %ses the word (pa#%es( to si#niy the #oin#s on o the rich and how their actions a+ect the ives o a the innocent peope invoved.

 This poem, no matter how $r%ta and harsh in its messa#e, has reevance even in modern times in societies where there is poverty d%e to ar#e discrepancies in incomes $etween the rich and poor.