William Blake

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How does Blake present the social problems of the 18th century, through his

Poems and artwork...?

William Blake 28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827. He was an  , , this made William Blake after his death became very popular with his poetry.

He was married to a Catharine Blake he had no children; William Blake was one of the best poets of his time

A lot of the rich people did not like him because he writes poems about the church and the king’s power which he then got arrested for about saying things about the king.

Life was very bad for the people in the 18th century because children were forced too work e.g. Chimney Sweepers made to go up chimneys and usually very young due to cancer and burns, but the how did they get to become chimney sweepers? They became chimney sweepers when there parents sold them because they were very poor and could not afford to keep them so sold them to a master witch will feed and keep them alive, so in a way it was what the parents had to do for the best.

The poem I have chosen is London because it is, the poem is mainly about the suffering in London this is shown when he says “Marks Of Weakness, Marks Of Woe” this line is saying that a lot of people are weak and unable to get food for their family. Another quote show that it is not just workers suffering is small children and soldiers “In every infants cry of fear” and “And hapless soldiers sigh” this are some good quotes but the most powerful one is “Runs in blood down palace walls” this quote was every dangerous because it got him arrested and but in court but got away with a caution.

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One of the most shocking quotes is “How the harlots curse” which is showing that there are prostitutes and they have sexually transmitted which are killing them because there is no medication for them.

“How the chimney-sweepers cry” this quote is saying that the chimney sweepers are working so much it is killing them.

In the first stanza it is mainly about him and what he is seeing as is most of the poem “I wander thro each charter`d street” but this stanza is at his point of view the most “And mark in every face I meet”.  

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