Negative View Of London example essay topic

In this essay I will be look at two different poems and what image they make of London, and their views. Wordsworth has written his poem 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge' in a sonnet form, which is usually only used for poems about love, this implies that Wordsworth's poem will be about how much he likes London. Blake has written his poem in quatrain verse, which at the time was the most common type of style for writing poems. Blake describes London as being controlled and restricted, we know this because in the first line of his poem he writes "I wander thro' each charter'd street". I believe that by describing the streets as charted he is saying that they are being controlled, like streets on maps are charted. He also describes nature (which to a romantic poet is very important) as being controlled.

He says this in line two of his poem "Near where the chater'd Thames does flow". Rivers are usually viewed as powerful, uncontrollable forces of nature. Wordsworth views the river as a free, peaceful symbol of freedom in London. This can be shown in line 12 where he writes, "The River glide th at this own sweet will". William Blake views the people as sad, downtrodden and without hope, this can be seen in lives three and four where he writes: "And mark in every face I meet, Marks of weakness, marks of woe" (London, lines 3-4) this implies that the people of London are unhappy and not free. Another example of them not being free and restricted is in lines seven and eight where he writes: "In every voice, in every ban, The mind-forg'd manacles I hear" (London, lines 7-8) This shows that he believes the people are being controlled and restricted by themselves and are not free, I believe this because he uses the word ban, bans are a way of controlling people and restricting what they can and cant do.

Manacles are also shackles, which go on the arms and legs to restrict movement, by saying they are mind forg'd he is saying that peoples minds are controlled and restricted. Blake also connects his poem, and London, to the French revolution, in which people fought and died for freedom and he writes: "And the hapless soldier's sigh, Runs in blood down palace walls". (London, lines 11-12) The French revolution greatly influenced both Blake and Wordsworth as they both travelled to France during the time of the revolution, and both indulged in the freedom of speech. Wordsworth describes the people of London and London itself as calm and in lines thirteen and fourteen he writes: "Dear God! The very houses seem asleep; And all that mighty heart is lying still!" (Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, lines 13-14) This also personifies the houses, and by using 'Dear God!' he emphasise this, and makes it a lot more extreme.

When he writes "And all the mighty heart is lying still!" I think this is describing London as the heart of England, and because it is earlier in the morning everyone is asleep, making London seem a lot calmer. Wordsworth also connects London to nature, to create imagery; one example of this is in lines 6-8 where he writes: "Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie, Open unto the fields, and to the sky; All bright and glittering in the smokeless air". This helps make London seem very beautiful and clean. By concentrating on the good things in London he is drawing attention away from the more ugly features in London.

Blake however views the building as now dirty, and no longer pure. We know this because in lines 9-10 he writes: "How the chimney-sweepers cry, Every blackening church appeals" (London, lines 9-10) This would have been very literate, as at the time it was during the industrial revolution, so many of the buildings would be black with dirt. In Blake's last verse he talks about how prostitutes are so young, and that they are like young children, but no longer pure. He ends his poem with a oxymoron and writes: "marriage hearse". This is two contrasting ideas, marriages are seen as a happy thought, where as hearses are sad thoughts connected to death. I believe this is talking about how the "harlots" (prostitutes) help kill the marriage.

In conclusion Blake has a negative view of London, which I think was inspired by his insiders view of London, which he had from being raised and living in London. In contrast Wordsworth has a positive view of London, which I believe comes from him being a visitor of London, viewing it in the early morning when not many people are about. I do not believe that in just eight years London could have changed so much. This essay gained me a A: ) - it looks at the two poem's but more importantly y they have there view's this relates to there backgrounds and how this affects there poem.