Compare and contrast Blake and Wordsworth's view of London William Wordsworth and William Blake both wrote popular poems about London

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Compare and contrast Blake and Wordsworth’s view of London

William Wordsworth and William Blake both wrote popular poems about London, but their views of it were very different, this could be because of the way they grew up. Blake was brought up in the city and saw the more poverty-driven and polluted side to London whereas Wordsworth writes about the beauty and peaceful view of London. He may have seen this side because he was born and bred in the beautiful countryside in the North of England.

        Blake is walking down the dirty streets of the capital city and talks about the pain and emotion in the people he sees, “in every cry of every man”. Blake considers the onlooker’s emotions and the actual streets and dark side to the city compared to Wordsworth who focuses on the beauty and natural side to London. Blake blames all of the poverty and damage in London on the authorities and the “black’ning church,” he thinks it’s because of their lack of awareness and care to London’s citizens that it has got this way. He uses logical and considered tone in the structure of “London.

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        Wordsworth’s sonnet is a very, romantic and optimistic poem about London. To Wordsworth, London is beautiful, as beautiful as the countryside or a more natural landscape; he doesn’t see all of the urban buildings and busy streets. Unlike Blake, Wordsworth sees the natural splendour of the capital “the beauty of the morning” rather than the dreary way of life Blake focuses on. Wordsworth only chooses to see the beautiful “garment” that London wears to cover up the grimy and gloomy city behind it. He has a really peaceful and unruffled view of the city “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge,” he considers ...

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