The second verse is about the people. “In every cry of every man” “in every infants cry of fear” the imagery the second verse suggests pain. “Infants cry” of mental torture “mind forged manacles”. There is a lot of repetition. In the second verse Blake emphasises on the word ‘every’ to really put the pain across.
The third verse is about the institutions and culture. Blake says ‘the chimney sweepers cry’. He suggests that London is polluted with smoke. Blake also says ‘every blackening church appals’. This has two meanings. The first meaning is that the city is polluted by the people. ‘Chimney sweepers cry’. The second meaning is that the city is black because it is sinful. When he talks about thus is he suggests the country is built on war.
The forth is about the future. He is suggesting that the future will be damned. The quote is ‘how the youthful harlots curse’. He is saying she is only young. A teenager. He also says ‘blasts the new born infants tear’ this means that the baby is crying because it knows the future will be corrupt for him. The imagery Blake produces is very grim. He is suggesting that London is doomed.
This poem is describing London like hell. The rhyming scheme for this poem is a,b,a,b,a,b. this is called alternative rhyming couplets. This poem is a view of a corrupted city. The poem is set in an urban London. It uses7-8 syllables per line. The structure for this poem is simple and direct just like the description of the city.
The second poem written by Wordsworth is completely different to Blake’s point of view. London is described in this poem like a good place. This poem is one long verse. Wordsworth describes it as the best place on earth. He describes it as ‘bright and glittery’ ‘smokeless air’. He describes it like a garment. ‘The city is doth like a garment beauty of the morning’. He is saying London is a jewel. He describes it as beautiful. He says that when the sun rises it shines down on the roof like a glittery gold diamond. The poem is written from a birds eye view. Wordsworth is standing on top of the Westminster Bridge. The poem has some quotes. Some are ‘a sight so touching’ Wordsworth uses a lot of personification. He describes the river as a person. ‘The river glideth at his own sweet will. He also describes the houses like people. ‘The very houses seem asleep’.
The city is calm. ‘Never felt a calm so deep’ ‘the mighty heart’. He is saying that London is the heart of England. The poem only has 1 verse. There is a split from the first eight lines and the bottom six. The whole poem is described like a person. The structure of the poem is an actare and a sestet.
The difference between Blake’s London and Wordsworth’s London is that Blake describes his London as hell. He says it is corrupted. This London is reality compared to Wordsworth poem which is like heaven. Wordsworth is in a dream. He is describing London as romantic.
The similarities both of these poems are that Blake says marks of weakness marks of woe. Wordsworth says mighty heart. Blake says blackening church, hapless soldier, palace walls. Wordsworth says ships, towers, domes, theatres, temples. Blake says chimney sweepers and blackening church. Wordsworth says smokeless air. Blake says chartered Thames does flow and Wordsworth says the river glideth at his own sweet will.
Blake says midnight streets and Wordsworth says valleys rocks or hills. Blake says midnight and Wordsworth says bright and glittery. He also says morning. Blake says cry in every man and Wordsworth says calm so deep.
The poem that gives me a better description of London is Blake’s point of view. He has a simple structure and his description is very descriptive.
Mohammed Gangat
