William Blake was one of the first romantic poets, writing during the French and American revolutions in 1780

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 William Blake was one of the first romantic poets, writing during the French and American revolutions in 1780. Romantic poets believe that people should be free to follow their own desires, everyone has a right to pursue and fulfil their desires in order to be happy, that imagination is more important than science and logic, and that childhood is important and should be innocent. Blake was a visionary writer, he talked to God and angels came to him in his dreams and visions. He translates these experiences into his poems. He viewed God as an artist, active and full of passion and love, rather than a scientist. However, Blake disliked institutions such as the Church and formal religion, the government and the royal family. Blake believed that people should have open marriages and to enjoy sex, possibly with multiple partners, and was also against unions such as marriages. Society and the Church taught people to think that sex was sinful and wrong, whereas Blake believed sex and desire is a connection to God and spirituality. Blake was especially frustrated with the Church, he thought they were controlling people, especially the poor and working classes. These institutions would teach that although people may be poor and unhappy in this life, if they do not rebel they will be able to go to Heaven and be rewarded. This was seen by Blake as a form of brain washing,

'London', a poem found in Blake's Songs of Experience, relates to the poet's views on the English capital in the 19th century. Blake employs a consistent rhyming structure similar to that of 'The Schoolboy' but with shorter four line verses. The poem, written in Blake's first person, is obviously expressing his own personal opinions. The first stanza relates to the strict uniformity of London's plotted land (a pet hate of Blake's) along with the poet's observations of troubled citizens ('Marks of weakness, marks of woe'). The second chorus style verse expands upon Blake's views of public constraint, implying that citizens have been conditioned into believing that their lives are tolerable ('mind-forged manacles'). Examples of which kind of people should not put up with their miserable lives are provided in the third stanza (chimney sweeps, soldiers) and the poems ends with a specific development of the life of a 19th century prostitute ('harlot').

The first verse of the poem relates to Blake himself wandering through the streets of London, noting the wretchedness of the unaware citizens. The poet curses the dictatorial layout of London in quiet outrage with the use of the word 'chartered' in consecutive lines. Blake believed that life could be better for everyone without the strict rules and regulations imposed by governing bodies, and his unusual wording plays on this fact. The 'marks' Blake apparently sees on 'every face' he passes are not of the physical variety; a deeper, more sinister interpretation relating to deprivation of the population at the time should be considered. The 'weakness' and 'woe' Blake speaks of cannot be perceived by the uncaring eye.

In the second chorus style verse, Blake attempts to show the reader the totalitarian influence of the 'mind-forged manacles' he can 'hear'. The use of the word 'every' in three successive lines emphasises the entirety of the population he is referring to; men, women and infants alike are all included in his exclamation. Blake obviously wants the reader to realise that the 'mind-forged manacles' he refers to are a bad thing. Negative imagery (such as the 'infant's cry of fear'), the repetition of the word 'cry' and the relation of his statement to arguments ('bans') are each included to contribute towards the overall feel of sadness. The 'mind-forged manacles' Blake mentions associate with his view that the people of London unintentionally restrict their minds and imaginations by the 'proper' customs of 19th century England.

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The third stanza of London subjectively considers two different figures that Blake believes have been deprived. The plight of the chimney sweep is one the poet takes particularly to heart (exhibited by other works), with once again a 'cry' falling upon deaf ears. This time, it is the church that is ignoring the heartbreaking situation of the young sweeps ('How the chimney-sweeper's cry/Every blackening church appals'). 'Blackening' is used here as a link to the growing pollution levels in London and as a reference the soot which covered the little chimney sweeps. Symbolically, it may also relate to the church's reluctance ...

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