[Critical Analysis of the poem LONDON by
William Blake]
William Blake was a visionary artist and poet who was considered as a seminal figure in the
Romantic Age. His famous poem "London", as David Erdman said, "have written to highlight the
crisis that the human civilization encounter in
the last decade of the 18th century." In this poem , he explores the dark side of 18th century
London filled with misery , oppression and social injustice. C. M. Bowra in his essay "Romantic
Imagination" said about Blake that -" it was his criticism of society, of the whole trend of
contemporary civilization.
The poem begins with the speaker
walking through London streets. This walk
brings the speaker near the River Thames, which seems to have its course dictated for it as it
flows throughout the city. The speaker noticed that the streets,and the River Thames are
"charter",suggesting everything is owned, controlled and commodified. The speaker sees signs
of resignation and sadness in the faces of every person the speaker passes by. "Marks of
weakness, markers of woe", largely implied that the commercial prosperity of London for the late
18th century had produced not happiness but suffering and misery.
In the second stanza of the poem
we see the picture of fear that breads in
every mind: " In every cry of every man, /In every Infants cry of fear,/ In every voice: in every
ban, / The mind forg'd manacles I hear". The speaker reveals that from the newborn infant to the
cry of the full grown man , he hears the "mind forg;d manacles". Here "manacles"
refer to the shackles or chains that are "mind forg'd", reveals that they imprisoned people's
ideas. The use of the
word "ban" reveals that these manacles are placed by society. Blake here pointed out the
political repression that had been imposed on the people of England, especially London, in the
aftermath of the French Revolution by British Government. The use of the words, "ban",
"manacles" reveals the mental imprisonment of people, by society.
In the third stanza the speaker moves from abstractions to detailed human realities. He first
begins with chimney sweepers. They were young boys working in dangerous condition to
provide for their families. Their cries are "ignored by the
society. The church is criticized for this hypocrisy . The "blackening" church appalls at the
chimney sweeper. They doesn't play any kind of role to save the children from the exploitation
of the masters. From chimney sweeper the speaker then turns his attention to the "hapless
soldier" who are the poor victims of a corrupt government. The speaker now criticizes and
accuses the kings and his ministers for spilling the blood of the soldiers to keep their comfort of
living in palace.
William Blake]
William Blake was a visionary artist and poet who was considered as a seminal figure in the
Romantic Age. His famous poem "London", as David Erdman said, "have written to highlight the
crisis that the human civilization encounter in
the last decade of the 18th century." In this poem , he explores the dark side of 18th century
London filled with misery , oppression and social injustice. C. M. Bowra in his essay "Romantic
Imagination" said about Blake that -" it was his criticism of society, of the whole trend of
contemporary civilization.
The poem begins with the speaker
walking through London streets. This walk
brings the speaker near the River Thames, which seems to have its course dictated for it as it
flows throughout the city. The speaker noticed that the streets,and the River Thames are
"charter",suggesting everything is owned, controlled and commodified. The speaker sees signs
of resignation and sadness in the faces of every person the speaker passes by. "Marks of
weakness, markers of woe", largely implied that the commercial prosperity of London for the late
18th century had produced not happiness but suffering and misery.
In the second stanza of the poem
we see the picture of fear that breads in
every mind: " In every cry of every man, /In every Infants cry of fear,/ In every voice: in every
ban, / The mind forg'd manacles I hear". The speaker reveals that from the newborn infant to the
cry of the full grown man , he hears the "mind forg;d manacles". Here "manacles"
refer to the shackles or chains that are "mind forg'd", reveals that they imprisoned people's
ideas. The use of the
word "ban" reveals that these manacles are placed by society. Blake here pointed out the
political repression that had been imposed on the people of England, especially London, in the
aftermath of the French Revolution by British Government. The use of the words, "ban",
"manacles" reveals the mental imprisonment of people, by society.
In the third stanza the speaker moves from abstractions to detailed human realities. He first
begins with chimney sweepers. They were young boys working in dangerous condition to
provide for their families. Their cries are "ignored by the
society. The church is criticized for this hypocrisy . The "blackening" church appalls at the
chimney sweeper. They doesn't play any kind of role to save the children from the exploitation
of the masters. From chimney sweeper the speaker then turns his attention to the "hapless
soldier" who are the poor victims of a corrupt government. The speaker now criticizes and
accuses the kings and his ministers for spilling the blood of the soldiers to keep their comfort of
living in palace.
