Wordsworth went on a walking tour of France in 1790 and returned the following year and had an affair with Annette Vallon, who he had an illegitimate daughter with; Ann Caroline. After the outbreak of war with France in 1793, Wordsworth returned to England. The poem, Guilt and Sorrow shows that he still had strong views on social justice. He also wrote, Letter to the Bishop of Llandaff (1793), a pamphlet that gave support to the French Revolution. However, after the Reign of Terror (September 1793-July 1794), Wordsworth became “disillusioned with radicalism”. This was reflected in his verse drama, The Borderers (1796).
Both Poems use their structure to emphasise the words in them. William Blake’s ‘London’ is written in four four line stanzas. Each line of each verse has the same number of syllables. It uses alternate line rhyming to make the poem sound regular. This ‘abab pattern’ system also draws more attention to the last word of each line. The sounds of London are stressed with the rhyming words cry and sigh in: “…chimney-sweeper’s cry” and “…hapless soldier’s sigh.” The ugliness and death are reinforced with, “…harlot’s curse,” and “…marriage hearse.” Blake’s rhyme words are negative, ugly things and each verse of the his poem attacks a different aspect of London. It is clear that Blake found London a very corrupt and immoral place.
Whereas in contrast, Wordsworth’s poem is written in the form of an Italian sonnet. The octave of which describes the man-made elements of the city, the last sextet refers to natural beauty. This poem also uses alternate line rhyming to create the effect of order. It is written in prose using iambic pentameter. This device brings attention to emphasise the meaning of the rhyming words. The rhyme scheme of the 2 poems helps to instill certain feelings and reinforces the authors’ thoughts. Wordsworth’s rhyme scheme helps to place an emphasis on the serenity of the morning with the rhyming words steep, deep and asleep in: “…beautifully steep,” “…calm so deep!” and “…houses seem asleep.” He emphasizes the stillness with the rhyming words hill, will and still in: “…rock or hill,” “…own sweet will,” and “…is still lying still.” Wordsworth’s rhyme words are positive.
Both poets use different ideas to convey their ideas to the reader. Wordsworth shows his feelings for London in a figurative way. He personifies the sun, using the personal pronoun ‘his;’ and the city is a ‘mighty heart.’ He allows them to perform human functions such as wearing clothes. These also suggest that nature and the city are alive and therefore as one. He continues this simile giving the river ‘a will’, something which is unique to people. Wordsworth also says ‘The City now doth like a garment wear the beauty of the morning.’ This gives the impression that the city is alive, not just a plain collection of buildings. I think this personification means that the city takes the beauty of the morning to disguise its’ dirtiness and ugliness. He personifies the houses with “…the very houses seem asleep” ‘All’ makes the city seem alive.
William Blake’s poem conveys his feelings in a more abstract style, when he uses the people and buildings of London to represent the institutions which they are associated with. He uses the image of a church to criticise religious establishments and a palace to signify the state, and authorities who control it. He gives the image of the soldier’s sigh running in blood down palace walls. Here he is attacking the monarchy and government for condemning young men to death by sending them off to fight in foreign wars.
Many of the words in Blake’s poem have more than one meaning. In the first line he talks of London’s ‘charter’d’ streets. He repeats the word in the 2nd line too. The sense of unchanging drudgery is in the repeated use of the word. Chartered can be interpreted to mean responsibility of the church or state or licensed; on the other side of the coin it can be use to mean “licentious and freely immoral”. Taken in context with the rest of the poem I think it means ‘freely immoral,’ as further on in the poem he mentions prostitution. The purity and cleanliness of London is lost when young women become prostitutes. The death that falls upon a marriage is often transmitted through the diseases a prostitute passes on. The use of the words ‘blights’ and ‘hearse’ in, “And blights with plagues the marriage hearse,” has the reader feeling the ugliness of disease and death. The miserable life seems to go on and on.
I believe that the picture of London we see in Wordsworth’s poem is an exaggerated tribute to the beauty of London. It uses splendid imagery and praises both nature and mans achievements. It immediately sets out how the author feels in the first line saying ‘Dull would he be of soul who could pass by, A sight so touching in its majesty.’ Saying that London is the ‘best’ and you would be boring if you can’t see it. It is left up to the reader to decide whether this is a compliment or a criticism. Wordsworth’s most famous works refers to the beauty of his beloved lake district. So you can’t imagine that he would be shocked and repulsed by London.
Wordsworth’s poem describes London as ‘glittering in the smokeless air’ and having a calming atmosphere. These statements, I think prove that the words are sarcastic. At the time they were written the Industrial was happening and the chimneys of London would be belching out thick smoke. Also to describe London as calming is, in my opinion a blatant lie. London is the heart of the United Kingdom, a port and an important centre of commerce. It is near impossible for us to imagine it as ‘calm’ even in ‘The beauty of the morning.’
In contrast to this the Blake poem uses hyperbole to criticize London and the sadness and malice of the people who live their. Blake’s London brutally painted is a dark, dirty, disease ridden and deprived place Unlike the Wordsworth poem it leaves you in no doubt as to the author’s feelings on the subject. Blake’s imagery stresses the sounds of London as well as the visual. His repetition of the word cry “In every cry…” “…cry of fear” and “…chimney-sweeper’s cry” has the reader hearing the voices of the people in London.
In the last verse of the Blake poem there is a theme of sexually transmitted disease, leading to the end of society. This is most apparent in the last verse. It describes the ‘youthful harlots curse’ blasting the newborn infant. This is showing that the disease affect everyone because of the importance of the people in the society. The last line uses the image of a ‘marriage hearse’ being blighted by sexually transmitted disease. Marriage is supposed to be a happy occasion though here it is shown to be an institution that carries people to their deathbeds. This is because marriage is usually seen as an appropriate setting for sexual intercourse which spreads the diseases when infidelity is rife.
The Wordsworth poem is slightly less melodramatic in its outlook as it just describes London at one moment in the morning. It has nothing in it that could be interpreted as relating to London’s people or what the future holds for them.
The Wordsworth poem is made more charged in the penultimate line where he says ‘Dear God! The very houses seem asleep;’ He is so overwhelmed by the city of London that he feels the need to include god’s name. In contrast nowhere in the Blake poem does he use direct speech to heighten any of the emotions.
Both these poems, in my opinion, share feelings of concern and disgust for London. The poem that had the most effect on me was the sonnet "Composed upon Westminster Bridge" This is because it is easier to understand and set out much more clearly. The imagery in the sonnet is very effective and gives a good visual image of London in the morning in the late 1700's.
