“Composed Upon Westminster Bridge” and “London 1802” By Wordsworth.

"This city doth like a garment wear

The beauty of the morning..."

These lines use personification to describe the beauty of the morning sun shining down on the city. The city is "wearing" the beauty of the morning and it is peaceful, the next line includes everything in to the peace and tranquillity "Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie". The next line describes London as perfect and unspoilt, and that it opens on to fields which can be seen from Westminster Bridge. This is completely different from now, there are no fields close enough to be seen from Westminster. The next line describes the "smokeless air" of London and how the sky and fields glitter from the sun that soaks the land. The next two lines say that nowhere before has the sun so beautifully soaked the land in so much wonderful sun, no where else in the world. Wordsworth says that he has never felt so calm or at peace with him self and nature. The Thames is flowing golden from the sun that is soaking it, and he makes it sound like the river is very peaceful. He calls God to come a witness this beautiful sight that he is looking at. "And all that might heart is lying still" this is Wordsworth describing the city as the "heart" of the country that keeps it going, but it is asleep and peaceful with not many people moving about. This poem paints a calm and gracious picture of the city, ignoring industrialisation and using images to create a majestic view of London at that time.

The second poem, entitled "London 1802" is about London in 1802 but it is very different from the first one, this is describes London as vile and stagnant. It is another sonnet but this time with the rhyme ABBA ABBA CD DE CE. It has a different tone to the first, it is angrier with the country and the city of London. The language shows his dislike for what has happened to the state of London where as in the first poem he is very grateful for being able to see the wonderful and beautiful sight of London and the surrounding fields. It starts with Wordsworth calling on to Milton, "Milton! Thou shouldst be living at this hour", a poet who was born in 1608 and died in 1674. He was a prose writer passionately interested in the political uprising in that era. His writing shows religious understanding and he has had a big effect on the English language. "England hath need of thee" He says that England needs Milton because it is in a state of disarray and that everything is corrupt, not even the churches have been left. "A fen of stagnant water" this is a vile description of London, which is very different to the previous poem where he praises London as being a perfect and peaceful place. By allowing this to happen we have lost our heritage; "Have forfeited their ancient English dower". "We are selfish men" He says that they are all selfish men and they don't deserve what they had before the industrialisation, theses are his views and what he thinks about the current affairs of the country. He calls him to return to them again and help them get their "manners, virtue, freedom, power" back. Wordsworth says that Milton had a voice that people would listen to and that he could help fix the problems that they were facing in 1802. They lines describe the character of Milton, he lived a religious life that was pure and untainted, Wordsworth believes him to be perfect.

"Thou soul was like a star, and dwelt apart;

Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea"

This is a simile; it likens Milton's soul to a star and his voice the sea. Both the sea and stars are very majestic and clam which makes Milton sound very important and the language used by Wordsworth shows his devotion to Milton. Milton was a very modest man who did the "lowliest duties". The state of the city is in an appalling state and Wordsworth is looking for someone to help put it right and to set an example to the others.

These two poems couldn't be more different they both describe London at the same time but his views have completely changed.

Matthew Jeffery 1