The poets, Blake and Wordsworth, both show London in a different way. In ‘London’, William Blake shows a London, which is dirty, and ugly, ‘blood’ ‘runs down palace walls’. William Blake offers a view of London that is full of death and destruction. Although William Blake thinks London is dirty and ugly, William Wordsworth however, seems to put a different opinion across of London in ‘Upon Westminster Bridge’. In this poem Wordsworth shows a London that seems beautiful with “smokeless air”. However, the poem begins ‘ This city now doth, like a garment, wear the beauty of the morning’ and it is this that clarifies the real meaning of the poem. What William Wordsworth means by this is that the city wears nature and it is that alone that makes the city beautiful. In actual fact, therefore, both poets put across a similar message.
In ‘London’, Blake describes the city by using strong images in his work, ‘Marks of weakness, marks of woe’. This image Blake shows the reader that in London there is suffering and sadness. Blake also shows images of everything being owned when it should be in “liberty”, ‘I wander through each charter’d street’. Finally Blake shows London as a polluted and dirty place, ‘the blackening church appals’.
In ‘Upon Westminster Bridge’ Wordsworth shows the opposite, how nature is used to make the city beautiful ‘ All bright and glittering in the smokeless air, suggests that the city is beautiful in the clear air; this is a some what ideal view of London because in the Romantic Period the Industrial Revolution was in full force which meant that the air would be polluted.
In ‘London’, Blake shows a depressing mood hangs about London. He describes in detail the hopelessness fatality of life. In ‘Upon Westminster Bridge’ William Wordsworth shows a positive and uplifting calm surrounding London ‘Ne’er saw I never felt, a calm, so deep’. Again, however, it is important to note that this is not London itself, but London early morning as a result of nature’s influence.
‘London shows the capital as a depressing place, full of hopelessness and anger a place where ‘the youthful Harlot’s curse’, In ‘Upon Westminster Bridge’, Wordsworth shows London as beautiful, full of joy and surrounding nature which is free ‘The river glideth at his own sweet will’ the idea of nature being free and more beautiful is contrasted in ‘London’ where Thames itself seems “charted” or owed.
In ‘London’ William Blake’s tone of voice as he wanders ‘through every charter’d street’, is bitter and negative he is appalled with how the city is treating nature and people. In ‘Upon Westminster Bridge’, William Wordsworth’s tone is much more positive ‘ Dear God! The very houses seem asleep’. Wordsworth’s tone is one of joy and amazement, but it is rather ironic too- he enjoys at the city only when the houses are all asleep. Wordsworth is ironic in then as much as he is praising something that is alternately destroying the thing that makes it beautiful.
William Blake’s judgement about the city and society in ‘London’ is one where ‘the hapless soldiers sigh’ William Blake makes a judgement about the city to make people feel and understand the city as he does it is pitiful and corrupt. William Blake suggests that the city takes away a person’s individuality, so they act like everyone else. He also makes out that the “palace” is neglecting their own people.
In ‘Upon Westminster Bridge’, William Wordsworth’s judgement about the city and society is similar. But he shows the negativity of the city by painting to nature’s goddess. ‘The beauty of the morning, silent bare’. His judgment is that he city does indeed look glorious, but only at the time of day when the city is asleep and nature “ steals back”.
William Blake shows London as a polluted place, which is realistic as the poem was written in the middle of the Industrial Revolution. William Blake shows London as dirty and is disgusted about how people are, and the way they act. He describes the “Harlot’s” cursing their young babies and swearing through the streets. William Blake is actually walking around London, while William Wordsworth is looking down at London from a distance. He then says that the air is “smokeless” and shows London from a distanced point of view
William Blake describes London as a polluted, dreary place where the city has taken over nature, while William Wordsworth describes London as a place that given natures influence makes him happy and overjoyed. The city in the morning wears nature, which in turn makes the city beautiful. William Blake reflects aspects of the Industrial Revolution by showing how black the city is. William Wordsworth does the same by showing how beautiful the city’s natural opposite is.
