London by William Blake
“London”
by William Blake
I wander thro’ each charter’d street, permitted by a written document
Near where the charter’d Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet to give attention to
Marks of weakness, marks of woe. Signs, symbols, or visual impressions
In every cry of every Man,
In every Infant’s cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban, a proclamation
The mind-forg’d manacles I hear. Gave shape or form to (mind-forged means
to be shaped emotionally into one’s psyche)
How the Chimney-sweeper’s cry
Every black'ning Church appalls; fills with dismay; grows pale
And the hapless Soldier’s sigh unfortunate; ill-fated
Runs in blood down Palace walls.
But most thro’ midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlot’s curse a woman of ill-repute a profane oath
Blasts the new-born Infant’s tear emits a strong, sudden outburst
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse. Ruins or destroys
QUESTIONS ON MAIN POINT AND MEANING
1. Who is the speaker? What are his/her actions during the course of the poem?
2. describe the scenes recounted by the speaker. What is the nature of the details? What effect do these details have on the reader? Identify the most poignant or shocking word in each stanza. How does it touch or startle the reader?
3. What is the progression of the poem? How is the example in each stanza a representation of a social institution?
4. Blake is an early Romantic. Identify the Romantic characteristics in the poem.
5. “London” was published in 1794. What was the political and religious atmosphere of England and Europe at this time? How does the poem reflect this age? What relevance does “London” have for us? Provide specific examples.
6. What is the meaning of chartered in lines 1 and 2? Identify other examples of repetition and examine how each repetition is used. What are the effects of these repetitions?
7. Explain “mind forg’d manacles.” How can one hear “mind forg’d manacles” in someone’s voice or in a proclamation?
8. Examine the words black’ning (or blackened, as we know it) and appalls in line 10. what are their literal meanings? How does the context of the line influence their literal meanings? How would meaning change if Blake used blackened rather than black’ning?
9. Examine youthful and curse in line 14. How does context influence their meanings?
“London” by William Blake
Visual Connection
1. Create a frame for each of the four stanzas
2. Each frame should illustrate the dominant image of the stanza
3. Each frame should have a title that reflects the main idea of the stanza
4. The title is a phrase or word from the stanza
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