Compare and Contrast the poems London and Upon Westminster Bridge - Say which poem you like best and why.

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Sarah Allymohamed

                                                                                 

 

 

                                     

Compare and Contrast the poems London and Upon Westminster Bridge. Say which poem you like best and why.  

William Blake wrote London (1757-1827) and William Wordsworth wrote Upon Westminster Bridge (1770-1850). These two poets are both Romantic poets. The word Romantic in this context doesn’t mean they are poets that focus on love in their poetry. It means that they were writing during the Romantic Movement. Romanticism was the name for the movement that emphasised certain qualities in poetry. The main qualities of this type poetry were poems focused on nature, especially the beauty of nature. Poems that were also used were poems that were full of enthusiasm for the subject of the poem. The emotions and responses of the poet. Also the poet’s individual responses to the world and life; poetry that expresses the power of imagination. Poetry, which celebrates the splendid rather than the ordinary.

            William Wordsworth is famous for describing good poetry as ’the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling.’ His most famous long work is The Prelude (1850). William Blake is famous for visionary power. He believed the imagination was much more powerful for understanding the world and how to live than reason was. William Blake wrote lots of poetry, which are put into two groups: The Songs of Innocence and the Songs of Experience. The poem London is a Songs of Experience. My favourite of these two poems is London because I like the way William Blake notices and looks at the weak people in London e.g. the chimney sweeper, prostitutes.  

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             The similarities between these two pieces of poetry are they are both about London. They include the poets own responses to the city and as would also be expected by Romanticism, both poets feel very strongly about the London they can see and both describe their responses fully. They also both have religious qualities e.g. In William Wordsworth’s poem ’Dear God! The very houses seem asleep; and all that mighty heart is lying still!’ and in William Blake’s poem ‘How the chimney sweeper’s cry every black’ning church appals.’ (William Blake own responses of London). ...

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