Compare and Contrast the Poems

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Compare and Contrast the Poems “City Jungle” by Pie Corbett, “London” by William Blake and “Londinium” by Catatonia – How Do These Poems Portray Cities and City Life

        “City Jungle” by Pie Corbett, “London” by William Blake and “Londinium” by Catatonia are poems that share the same theme: cities and city life. They each have negative opinions of cities and similar themes and messages, that cities are unpleasant. The poems are however, vastly different in their style; “City Jungle” has a fun atmosphere, whereas “Londinium” and “London” have depressing atmospheres (especially “London”).

        

“City jungle” is simple, direct and modern title that paradoxically compares cities to jungles; both are over crowded, hostile places though are opposite extremes on the spectrum of civilisation and nature. “City Jungle” maybe a description of cities in general rather one specific city as we are not told which city is being described.

        “London” is another simple, direct and modern title (although the poem itself is complex and old-fashioned). We know that London is the city being described in the poem because of the title “London” and the description of the River Thames and of Buckingham Palace.

        “Londinium” is a direct title that uses the Latin translation for London to give us a sense of history, because London is an old city. We know that London is the city being described because of the title “Londinium” and of the description of Euston and Paddington train stations and of the M25.

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        The poem “City Jungle” is a modern, humorous poem that demonstrates the likeness of cities to jungles by describing commonplace city objects as jungle creatures, “Lizard cars cruse by”.

        “London” is a Victorian poem in which Blake expresses his opinions on the ill state of London and effects of the industrial revolution on 18th and 19th century society of which the poor were victims.

        In “Londinium” Catatonia (a famous singer/song writer from Wales) autobiographically expresses that she would like to leave London and go, perhaps home to Wales because of the capitalism, commercialism and pollution of London.

        Both “London” ...

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