The two poems 'London' by William Blake and 'Composed upon Westminster Bridge' by William Wordsworth are both about London city and were written within twelve years of each other but each show very different pictures of London.

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Emma Coppin 08/05/07

Compare the ways in which Blake and Wordsworth express contrasting views of London in their poems.

        The two poems ‘London’ by William Blake and ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’ by William Wordsworth are both about London city and were written within twelve years of each other but each show very different pictures of London. Blake writes about a dull, depressing city where the inhabitants are victims of injustice and oppression. Institutions of power such as the church and the reigning monarch are rendered by synecdoche, by mentioning the places in which they reside and are so associated with – the church itself and the palace. Blake was born in London to a middle class family and although not directly affected by poverty, he witnessed it every day he ventured outside of his home. Along with Wordsworth, Blake had strong beliefs and hopes for the American and French revolution and showed his support by wearing a red liberty cap. Blake rejected all forms of imposed authority and had been charged for assault and speaking words of treason against the King in 1803. He saw the church to be oppressive and restrictive of rightful freedom. Although ‘London’ was written in 1789 it wasn’t published until 1794 in a book called ‘Songs of Experience’. His attitudes towards the authorities reflect in his poem and his defiance is admirable. The book ‘Songs of Experience’ holds a collection of poems, each negative one with a positive counterpart – all except ‘London’ that is. His poem illustrates that sometimes things aren’t always what they appear to be.

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        Wordsworth on the other hand presents us with a very different poem indeed. He writes about a beautiful, tranquil city full of delights. The poem was written in 1802, the year of his marriage to childhood friend Mary Hutchinson. He and Samuel Taylor Coleridge had launched the ‘Romantic Age’ in 1798 with the publication of ‘Lyrical Ballads’. In the Preface he gives his famous definition of poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings from emotions recollected in tranquillity”. He was a very expressive character who was not afraid to show his emotions. His innovative style crowned him England’s Poet ...

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