This rapacious idea is continued in stanza two, itself of faster pace, where one almost hears a cacophony of wails:
'In every cry of every Man,
In every Infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban'.
It is implied that these wails are caused by the entrapment of life in London. The use of the delayed verb, 'hear', in stanza two, is a means by which the reader is kept waiting to hear how the preceding information should be interpreted. Furthermore, the statements of confusion and disorder create a powerful picture of pain and lack of social cohesion. This is summed up with the alliterative 'mind-forged manacles I hear'. This phrase portrays the population as being chained up emotionally, mentally and physically, individually and collectively, as though man is born a prisoner. The word 'every' suggests there is no escape from the tumult - that there are no exceptions to the 'reality' which Blake is painting.
This feeling of entrapment is also intensified by Blake's use of capitalised key nouns, which produce a generalised 'Everyman' figure, such as 'Man', 'Chimney sweeper', 'Soldier' and 'Harlot' - all of whom experience devastation of varying kinds. In the third stanza, violent images are built up, one upon another. The chimney sweeper is used as an example of the callous exploitation of child labour, and, moreover, the ironic position of the Established Church - 'Every black'ning Church appalls' - is viewed in relation to such injustice. The Church, itself literally blackened itself by soot, is also metaphorically darkened by its moral turpitude in the face of rank injustice. The intimation is that the Established Church, which should rightfully be a rejuvenating and vital force, is, instead, a dangerous and defunct one. The use of the word 'black'ning' in this line creates an oxymoron, as the Church is usually associated with light and righteousness, whereas black symbolises darkness and evil. The Church is perceived as not serving the urban poor well.
The universal soldier is depicted by Blake's capitalisation, as
'the hapless Soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls.'
This emphasizes the implication of injustice, both personal and collective. The lack of attention by the supposedly caring and governing institutions - the Establishment - is being most effectively criticized. Growing social unrest and violence in Europe was prevalent at the time, with the storming of the Bastille and the growing impetus towards the revolution in France. In Britain, riots had taken place in London. Clearly, Blake is making a comment on the dehumanisation of Man, who is open to the powers of nature and society, which he views as ultimately repressive. Blake is also making a point about opposition, especially to political and social control, which incurs violence. Therefore, it is as though violence, in one form or another, is itself inescapable in the struggles of life.
Stanza four finishes the poem at a ferocious pace, with lines 13 and 14 using enjambment, which emphasizes the power of the verb 'blasts'. The word 'blasts' is linked with 'blights' through alliterative sound, which intensifies the sense of savagery. They are also both onomatopoeic, which again exaggerates their impact. The most aggressive verbs are found in the conclusive stanza, reinforcing the violent theme. The image in the last verse is also the most horrific one: young prostitutes are portrayed as placing curses on their customers by transmitting diseases to their clients and so to their respective wives and children, thereby making the marriage bed a 'Marriage hearse'. This savage oxymoron is a most effective yoking device, linking the act of love, a life-giving force, to death. The implication is that no one seems to care about any of this - the authorities do not have a truly human face - and perhaps Blake is questioning what it is to be human.
William Wordsworth, on the other hand, uses literary techniques to portray a charming and entrancing London, full of splendour, tranquility and serenity. In the first line, Wordsworth exaggerates by stating that 'Earth has not anything to show more fair' and goes on to describe the city as 'touching in its majesty'. The city is personified:
'This city now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare'.
The simile, linking the city's beauty in the morning to a garment, suggests that the city is clothed in beauty, albeit in a beauty that is transitory or removable.
By appealing to the 'soul' of an individual to appreciate the city, Wordsworth is treating the city not only as a living being, but also as a piece of art. By setting the poem in the early morning, a sense of a pristine creation is achieved. Wordsworth is painting a picture of buildings and transport in the early morning, where London is no longer smoky but 'glittering' with rays of light from the bright sun. These bright and positive associations build up a feeling of (a contrived) well being. In line 6, the vista of man's achievements, the 'Ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples', lie bared to nature. The fact that the city's buildings are open to and surrounded by the fields and air implies a sense of blending between man-made constructions and nature, as though the divine order and man's ingeniousness are working together to form the beautiful scene. This is also true in line 10 where the 'valley', 'rock' and 'hill' are mentioned.
The personification of the sun (line 9) and the river (line 12) reinforce the powerfulness of the image of the city, itself personified. The constant use of sibilant sounds such as 'city', 'soul', 'sight', 'silent', 'ship', 'sky', 'smokeless', 'sun', 'steep', 'splendour', 'saw', 'so', 'sweet', 'seem', 'asleep' and 'still' convey a lulling and harmonious feeling. This adds weight to the persona's feeling of calm and rest in the morning due to the Thames which 'glideth at his own sweet will'. The word 'glideth' portrays the river as flowing where it wishes, not restricted or confined, contrasting with 'charter'd' in Blake's poem.
The sonorous octet moves into more vigorously expressed emotions in the sestet, underscored by three exclamation marks in lines 11,13 and 14. The exclamation,
'Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!'
evokes the power of an invocation with the connotation that God confers life to the inanimate, for houses can not literally sleep and a heart is not possessed by a city. Wordsworth is hereby expressing his astonishment at the beauty and peace of the scene.
These contrasting poems on London also, unsurprisingly, exploit very different tones. Blake uses an impelling and sardonic tone, whilst Wordsworth achieves an optimistic one. Wordsworth's poem is notable for its sonority, the picture of a city sleeping peacefully where lack of sound is emphasized and the relationship between God, nature and man appears to be harmoniously disposed. In contrast, Blake's London is full of bitter and fearful cries, where violence and depravity reign, and where institutional life is full of degradation.
Blake and Wordsworth also use opposing structural features in their poems. Blake's, 'London', is constructed with four stanzas, each composed of four short lines. This implies that the reader should read it quickly to appreciate its dramatic effect. Its raucous and sharp tone penetrates all four stanzas. A longer poem would not, perhaps, be able to sustain the shock and horror that this short poem achieves. Blake has used a very rhythmic pattern and a rhyming scheme of ABAB ABAB ABAB ABAB. By using the rhythm and the rhyme in a uniform style, the theme of the poem is reinforced - that of monotony of life in London where there appears to be no respite from depression and despair.
Wordsworth's, 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge', is a sonnet in which the octet (8 lines) and sestet (6 lines) utilise an ABBAABBACDCDCD rhyming scheme. Wordsworth uses the longer lines of the lyrical sonnet form to ensure that the reader reads the poem slowly, and the clear and resultant intention is that the reader should relish his view of the city. Yet, Wordsworth also uses the sonnet form here as if it were still associated with love and nature, the typical components in his poetry.
Whilst reading the two poems, one gathers a sense of the different ways the two poets have manipulated language to fit their theme and view. The two starkly contrasting poems use vocabulary, structure and imagery to stir opposite emotions in the reader, but of the same city. Perhaps these differing views stem from the poets' own backgrounds: Wordsworth was brought up in a middleclass home in Cumbria, where he attended a grammar school. The Lake District was no doubt the inspiration for many of his poems telling of the beauty of nature. Blake, however, was born and lived in London, and eked out a living as an engraver. He was surrounded by industry, constrained by the nature of human beings and the quality of institutional organisation. The reader senses these different lifestyles when reading the two poems and observing their use of language.
