Comparing London by William Blake and Westminster Bridge...

Comparing London by William Blake and Westminster Bridge by William Wordsworth William Blake was born in London in 1757. He was taught by his mother at home, and became an apprentice to an engraver at fourteen. In addition to poetry Blake spent much of his time painting. Blake lived on the edge of poverty and died in neglect. His poetry receiving little acclaim while he was alive. ‘London’ was written by Blake in 1789. Taken from Blake’s ‘Songs of Experience’, the style is darker and in a sense depressing. It describes the city after the Industrial Revolution. Blake takes a very negative and hopeless view of the city and the lives of those living within it. He hated the way London was becoming,†¦show more content†¦In the second stanza Blake describes the whole scale of humanity from infant to man to feel general disgruntlement with the life that London inflicts upon them. ‘Ban’ suggests restricted or prohibited. Blake however suggests that men have in a sense designed their own prison, implying this by use of ‘mind-forg’d manacle’. He describes infants who cannot speak but are nonetheless born under the chains, which Blake suggests society has needlessly inflicted upon itself. Again he creates effect by the repetition of ‘every’. Blake goes on in the third stanza to comment ok the use of child labour under appalling conditions, attacking the church as it ignores the cries of the chimney sweep. He is disgusted with this practice and appeals against it and effectively shows the church to be appalled by the cries of the complaining chimney sweeps. He describes the church as ‘blackening’, which illustrates the industrialisation of the church. Just as he contrasts the chimney sweeps with the indifferent church, he contrasts the soldiers sent out to die, while the palace pays no attention – ‘the hapless soldier’s sigh runs in blood down palace walls.’ This is a literal allegory for the French Revolution taking place at the time, where Blake suggests that if the ‘palace’ ignores the dries of the people a far greater threat, suchShow MoreRelated Comparing Composed Upon Westminster Bridge by William Wordsworth and London by William Blake1459 Words   |  6 Pag esComparison between William Blake and William Wordsworth’s Views of London William Blake grew up in the slums of London and this is shown in his poem, he wrote his poem in the slums and back alleys of London as he never had very much money. He describes London as being â€Å"charter’d†, this gives us the impression that everything has rules and boundaries in London, and that there is no mystery to be discovered. Also chartered means on a map, almost as if it is owned, by the king perhaps. The lineRead MoreComparing the Poets Use of Language To Present Their View of London in Composed Upon Westminster Bridge by Wordsworth and London by Blake1571 Words   |  7 PagesComparing the Poets Use of Language To Present Their View of London in Composed Upon Westminster Bridge by Wordsworth and London by Blake London was, is and undoubtedly always will be, a city of enormous interest and controversy, especially for those employed in the field of writing. The two poems, Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, 1802, by William Wordsworth and London, 1794, by William Blake, demonstrate this through their opposing views. The intention of both WilliamRead MoreWilliam Blake And William Wordsworth1099 Words   |  5 Pagesthose poets are William Blake and William Wordsworth. Although Blake was a contemporary of the era, he had a little in common with Wordsworth. Religion is the focus of Blake’s visionary works, which does not exist in any other Romantic poetry. William Blake uses satire in most of his work to criticize the corrupting influence of religion on imagination. For Wordsworth, nature was like a religion. He talks about his own spiritual life when he refers to nature. According to Wordsworth, being alive meantRead MoreEssay on Compare London and Composed upon Westminster Bridge2519 Words   |  11 PagesCompare London by William Blake and Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3rd 1802 by William Wordsworth. As a part of my coursework for GCSE English, I will be comparing two poems written about London in nineteenth century. The two poems I have chosen to write about are: London by William Blake and Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3rd 1802 by William Wordsworth. Both poems give their own, different accounts of London at around the same period. One is written with a