In “Composed upon Westminster Bridge”, ten syllables are on each line and the regular use of rhyme creates a rhythm and provides the readers with an image of harmony. Wordsworth has deliberately set a different rhyme scheme in octave and sestet to help the readers to classify the two of them. In the beginning line of both octave and sestet, hyperbolic language is used to exaggerate the scenery. This has efficiently helped the readers to bring themselves into the image. He deliberately places words such as ‘Open’, ‘Earth’, ‘Never’ and ‘Dull’ at the beginning of the lines to emphasis them. He also uses enjambment in many lines in order to extend many of his feeling to other lines and preserves the imaginations of the readers.
In order to help the readers to share the emotion against the condemn of the government and imprisonment, Blake exploits a different way from Wordsworth; metaphor imageries such as the sound of the ‘mind-forg’d manacles’ and ‘runs in blood down Palace walls’ has helped the readers to develop images in their mind. In ‘London’, it has a definite metre that is very predictable and it has successfully provides an impression of the monotonous way of life these underprivileged citizens are living.
Wordsworth expresses his amazement about the scenery by exaggerating the fairness shown. Soul with appreciation and awareness of nature scenery has always been thought as more superior and people who did not aware of beauty of London has been described as ‘dull’ soul. As most people would not like to be thought as soulless and therefore would immediately agree with Wordsworth statement about the view.
The River Thames in London has always been a landmark for the city and has symbolised the freedom of its people. However, in “London”, the Thames is ‘charter’d’, which suggests the fact that the liberty of people has also been unreasonably restricted. The River Thames described in “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge” is however, in a complete contrast. Wordsworth personifies the Thames as a living body which can freely flow according to its ‘own sweet will’. By comparing two poems, it is ironic to realise the river Thames has more right then human being to control and choose their way to ‘flow’. This has successfully evoked the readers’ sympathy towards the people in the poem “London”. The repetition of ‘every’ in the first two stanzas in “London” gives the readers an impression that the miserable atmosphere has suffused every part of the town, and can be seen in ‘every face’ and ‘every man’. It also at the same time creates a monotonous tone and indicates that the people are not going to have the chance to change their fate. Blake ‘wanders’ on the street which gives a strong feeling that ‘weakness’ and ‘woe’ can easily be seen even when he is aimlessly walking in the street, which has efficiently increases the effectiveness.
In the poem “London”, the ‘black’ning Church’ has determined how industry dominated the late 18th century “London”. In those days, the Church always had a leading position in the society and the priests had always been thought as people with compassion yet in this poem, Blake has criticised the Church by using and an strong opposite word, ‘appalls’, that hints the readers with an impression of the corruption of the Church. He once again apply the word ‘every’ which has again emphasised the commonness of these actions and a strong word, ‘appalls’, has efficiently aroused the readers’ anger towards the hypocrisy of the religion. The oxymoron by saying the Church is appalled by the ‘chimney-sweeper’s cry’, has evoked the readers’ compassion. Blake against the government by ‘hapless soldier’s sigh’, the alliteration used is to draw attention of the readers. However in “Composed upon Westminster Bridge”, in the third line of the sestet, Wordsworth has emotionally involved the ‘Dear God!’ for building this splendid ‘beauty’ which seems to wear a ‘garment’, Wordsworth has used this personification to help the readers to image the scenery of the city. As wearing garment is a human thing to do, Wordsworth has at the same time suggests his appreciation of human accomplishment.
I admire Blake’s awareness of the reality of his surroundings and find “London”, a more enjoyable poem and the second stanza is particularly inspiring for me. The repetition of ‘every’ in the second stanza has provided me with the vivid images of the miserable lives of people who were boxed in the ‘charter’d street’ and had suffered in the old London. Both of the poems were written in the similar period, which means that the situations should be the same but the two poems suggests two extremely different scenarios. Wordsworth’s poem describes the beauty of London in the early morning and I find this poem is too subjective and non-realistic. The dreadful realistic living situation would not be able to be seen, as ‘the very houses seem asleep’. The dominant use of hyperbolic language in the poem makes me find “Composed upon Westminster Bridge” a less realistic poem.
