Leading on, London is and was Britain’s Capital City and is the subject for these two poems. But it is perceived from different viewpoints, we see London in Worthsworth’s perspective, and he represents London in a very beautiful way. In Blake’s poem he portrays a Suffering City of London, Blake’s London was written in 1794.
Therefore it is clear that both poets show sharp contrasting views about London. Wordsworth tries to affect the reader with a sense of wonderment at the natural beauty which is created with a sunrise in his poem. However William Blake informs the reader of evil, social conditions at that time as he describes London at night. However the reasons why these two poets express their different attitudes to the same city may be explained by their different backgrounds and reasons for composing these poems which have shaped their personalities towards life and the world.
William Wordsworth was born in 1770 in England and was raised amongst the mountains of Cumberland along a river, after his parents died he was protected by relatives during childhood. At this stage of his life mostly at university he became a very keen poet. When his father died he inherited his father’s library, which helped engage his love for poetry at an even deeper level. He grew up in a very rustic society and spent a great deal outdoors and with nature. He was very optimistic in his poems and said “poems are the overflow of emotions.” So under the influence of that theory “Composed upon Westminster Bridge 1802” he shows London pure and tranquil.
On the other hand William Blake had different life experiences and up-bringing than Wordsworth and his father was a hosier in London 1757. He received little formal education, but he was artistic and went to drawing school and the age of 10. Unlike Wordsworth, Blake was a pessimist; he was very political because he was raised in a poorer part of London. He saw the downsides towards London; this was because he came to have a quarrel with a soldier and was almost sentenced in prison. After this incident Blake realised the injustice of the horrid society. He wasn’t a religious man either he failed to accept the church, because they condoned awful actions and they church we very respected.
“Composed upon Westminster Bridge 1802” is in well with harmony with nature in this poem he also describes the cities architecture “ships, towers, domes theatres and temples.” He appreciates natural beauty and says nature cannot rival. In the first line of the sonnet he describes London as he is utterly dazzled by it. “Earth has not anything to show more fair” and he goes on “Dull would he be a soul who could just pass by.” This state’s only a boring person could just walk by and not be dazzled by the view. Besides the hyperbolic description of the city, he personifies the city as a beautiful garment on a person. “This city now doth on a garment wear.” So the city is not a passive object anymore, but it is as real as ever