A Comparison of 'London' and 'Composed upon Westminster Bridge'

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Sarah.Y.Kargbo

A Comparison of ‘London’ and ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’

The poems ‘London’ by William Blake and ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’ written by William Wordsworth both explore the city of London although the two poems portray the city differently.

The  poem ‘London’ describes the depth of London from the backstreet alleys to the palaces and churches. This poem I feel was written in order to highlight the hardships in London. The poem ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’ is a petrachan sonnet and as is with most sonnets is written in celebration. Wordsworth has written this poem in celebration of London. The title has a double meaning; 'composed' as in written by and composed as in 'calm' which is much like the poem of itself. Wordsworth was obviously in awe of London, because he is admiring everything around him. He has centred his poem on the success and beauty of the city, whereas William Blake’s poem describes the horrid and dirty scenes that are to be seen in London.

Blake’s poem has a set rhyme scheme of a b a b and 16 lines with eight syllables in each. Blake’s lexical choice is an overuse of contracted words such as ‘thro’’, ‘charter’d’, ‘forg’d’, black’ning’ the writer does this as the omission of letters will enable to have the right amount of syllables needed. William Wordsworth’s poem has one stanza, 14 lines and set out as a usual sonnet but it is a petrachan sonnet and the nature of this means that there is not such a strong rhyme scheme.

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Blake’s Poem begins with a sense of irony, as by implying the streets and river are ‘charter’d’ as if the city and river have rights, but the people of London don't. He talks of the ‘marks’ that he sees in everybody that he sees in their gestures and in the walks.

In the second stanza Blake uses the repetition of the word ‘every’ emphasises to the reader that it involves everybody. He continues to say that in every voice he hears the ‘mind-forg’d manacles’   this could be a main reason for Blake's proposed dislike of London are ...

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