“Old” poems (with King James biblical language) have never been a favourite of mine, especially because most of them are set in relatively obscure contexts in terms of history and the poet’s background; unless most of this information is available it is difficult to do the poem justice, as this article demonstrates. Dissecting a poem is not one of my favorite tasks. [1] Today’s lesson was relatively enjoyable, though ‘dramatizing’ “London” made it feel like a parody of something else. Still, I think Blake said it best on paper.
“London” captures the bleak hopelessness perceived in the city for which the poem was named— social problems and the disintegration of moral standards are addressed in the poem. In the first stanza, the word “charter’d” implies both the financial relevance of the city’s existence as well as the apparently “false” nature of it— the word “charter’d” also implies that the city was “hired” in some way, or deliberately planned and controlled. The second paragraph reinforces the idea of the common people suffering under the restrictions and control.
I thought it was interesting that the first letters of each line in the third stanza spelled “hear” (read vertically), given that Blake repeats the word twice in the poem. The references to the “Church” are an indication of a sort of corruption, with the mention of “chimney-sweepers” and the idea of contamination/soot. Apparently, Blake made attacks on conventional religion at the time, and this particular accusation of the church was the sin of silence: hearing the “chimney-sweeper’s cry”, and yet doing nothing. [2] The “hapless Soldier” perhaps also represents a pawn of the state.
Footnotes [1] http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/001.html [2] An analysis of the poem, found online here, gives this explanation: ‘Money is spent on church buildings while children live in poverty, forced to clean chimneys - the soot from which blackens the church walls. To Blake, this makes a mockery of the love and care that should characterise the Christian religion.’
When it comes to choosing between a prose or poetry, I'd very much prefer to do prose as I am not much of an insightful person..
Literature today was...sort of random ? And it was fun too. Brought back childhood memories of me playing "What's The Time Mister Wolf". –Laughs-
Oh wells, Back to my reflection. We then moved on to do a poem -dreads- entitled "London". It was written by William Blake and to me, it was a sadistic one. And when the class was "dissecting" it, I could sense the sorrow and empathise with what and how he described the streets of London.
The lines “ And mark in every face I meet. Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”
Show that everyone on the street was either depressed or unhappy. Everyone to him was not feeling good at all.
To the poet, London seems to be crumbling. People of London, does not seem happy being there in London. Isn’t it a sign that London has failed socially if it’s people are so upset and in despair ??
The second stanza tells us who are the ones suffering. Even infants are not apred the torture. The sufferings they go through, example, corruption etc, has put them through metal hell as the phrase "mind-fog'd manacles" convey to me that they are mentally trapped and prisoned.
In the third stanza, The "Chimney-sweeper's cry", "hapless Soldiers sigh" and the blood which runs down palace walls tells us that London is bursting with misery.
The fourth stanza concludes that all the author could hear as he was strilling down the streets of London, was, sorrow, misery and despair. The Harlots cursed maybe due to the fact that they are forced to do something against their own will and they were very unwilling about it ?
London to me is a sadistic and yet it forces the reader to empathize with what a sorry state London is in.
Hmm, I'm not sure whether i'm "dissecting" it correctly.. :X But well, i tried..didn't I ?
i do not really understand what the entire poem is trying to portray. Is it the negative side of London? Or is it because of William Blake's dislike towards London. But i somehow get the idea that the poem is trying to show how bleak London is and all sorts of anguish in that state.
The lesson is quite enjoyable. I AM GLAD THAT I AM THE VOLUNTEER!! I like the part where we were supposed to act out, especially the Miss Harlot scene.
I really don not know what to write anymore, i am really bad in english . So, i shall end here.
William Blake uses the form of ABAB,CDCD,so on for all the 4 stanzas in this particular poem. Basically, I think this poem is just focusing about Blake's negative views on the corrupted London. Stanza1: "wander" may suggests that the poet is just taking a stroll down the streets, and impose the idea of idling, without any sense of direction. "charter'd Thames does flow" suggests how more people may seems getting richer nowadays. But shows the irony of how having so much money doesn't stop all form of corruption in the society. "And mark in every face I met" suggests how everyone wore almost the same marks(in this case weakness and woe). The next sentence reflects the weakness of this society.
Stanza2: The first 3 sentences in this stanza are basically to describe one scene: mourning. And the “ban”, “mind-forg’d manacles” may be the “human restrictions” we actually created by ourselves unknowingly. And here, it is the scenes like prostitution. Ironically, man is also the one who started with this business. And now, getting upset all about it. Definitely, the chains of corruption is very difficult to break.
Stanza3: All the “Chimney-sweeper’s”, “black’ning Church appalls” and “hapless Soldiers sigh” shows the sense of hopelessness in this poem. Churches are supposed to be very glorious and holy, but Blake cleverly uses this to show the bigger contrast in conveying his message with his poem. The last sentence in this stanza suggests the continuous flow in “blood”. Also soldiers should protect the palace, but seems useless and helpless.
Stanza4: Suggest how common is prostitution. And both “Blasts the new-born Infant’s tear” and “blights with plagues the marriage hearse” are scenes of happiness and joy. It also conveys the poet’s message to urge everyone to stop all these corruptions and let this world be filled with joy. Here, this poem ends with a stanza similar to the 1st, with the image of the streets.
The first stanza was about the streets of London; literally littered with money. “Where the charter’d Thames does flow” means that money flows like a river, easily available. Everyone’s face has a story to tell, weathered with vulnerability and depression. So London might be a place for business, but not for cultivating relationships, not in this materialistic place.
The second stanza was about the dolor felt in every being in London. Men cry because of the reality in the world run by money, so corrupted. The youth cry because they worry for themselves, whether they are going to join in the inevitable rat race in London. “In every voice: in every ban, The mind forg’d manacles I hear.” The people are locked in the neverending downward spiral, losing their humane mind for money. There are unwritten rules that they should always be in competition against one another, and the last one standing is supreme. The society in London crumbles under their hostility. Everyone carries a knife behind their smile.
The third stanza is about the last glimmer of hope in London’s society. But they are hopeless, they cannot go against the flow of society effectively. A chimney-sweeper, albeit finding his mind, is not a match to the high-flying businessmen, and can only look on as they destroy themselves for the economy. This shows that the people in London have to be unscrupulous and scheming to succeed. The “hapless soldier sighs”, as he loses his will to fight against the dirty flow of society, and loses hope as the current grows stronger. It is as if there is war all over again in London.
The fourth stanza is about what’s behind the scenes in London. The youthful women degrade themselves by prostitution for money. Then comes the unexpected “gift” from their clients, and the mothers curse their luck. Others experience the worse consequence of all, diseases borne from their job. Others tie themselves to marriage, for the sake of money or because they demand responsibility from the male party for their STD or children. This shows that people are willing to pit themselves in risk for the sake of money.
First off, the poet manipulates the true nature of a ballad to create a mournful atmosphere from what was supposed to be a joyous and festive poetry form. This ironic disposition can be seen to reflect the situation of the real world and its advances throughout the ages. Progression is meant to shape our world into a comfortable and utopian paradise; yet, poverty still prevail amongst the self-absorbed, ignorant rich men, too dedicated for the quest for wealth and economical power to empathize with the poor. Is this what progression means, a modern “survival of the fittest” where only the wealthy shall succeed, where the deprived are left to suffer on the bottom of the financial hierarchy?
William Blake hopes to enforce exactly this contradictory irony. He contemplates the financial status of London, where he believes every street of London is “charter’d”. He laments how London, in its economical boom, had led to every part of it being ‘leased’. The public is now effectively robbed of the freedom to roam the streets, instead being forced under the watchful look of a “Big Brother”, or the hirer, so to speak. William is disgusted by this “dictatorial” control, as he remarked on how London is “charter’d” twice, reinforcing the motion of a sold London.
William implies that this “fragile” economy will have a negative impact on both the poor and the wealthy. Every poverty stricken people will be tortured under the oppressive nature of London, where their low financial status will only spite the rich; hence, their “mark of woe”. The rich, though powerful in many aspects, will fall when the economy falls, and therefore their “mark of weakness”.
The second stanza sees William acknowledging that man is doomed to fail under an oppressive regime only interested with economical power. The “mind-forg’d manacles” suggests William’s belief that every man are chained in this downward spiral, resigned to how they will regret when their obsessive need for wealth sucks the world dry, leaving only coldness and fierce competitions to sate their need for wealth, neglecting true happiness.
The third stanza talks about the people who still protest against the desire for wealth. The chimney-sweeper, a man of humility status-wise, cries as he sees London crumble into a wreck of economic gain. The church, one of the last groups still dedicated to religion rather than finance, blackens due to the neglect of the people towards it.
The fourth stanza finishes William’s poem with reference to London’s overall decay. He despises how the street of London fills with Harlots, or prostitutes, corrupting the streets with their regret and despair, all in order to earn some money. The infant noted in the nest sentence talks about the next generation, born from a prostitute, perhaps an allusion to how that generation is doomed to face the consequences the previous generation had caused. William ends the poem with a regretful sentence on how marriage is “plagued” perhaps suggesting that by marrying and henceforth procreating, it would only force the child to suffer under the bleak world.
My analysis may not be true. Many of it is simply conjectures, though I do try my best to find evidence from the poem.
I find that day’s lesson to be... different. That’s not to say it was bad, but it was far from what I expected from a literature class. It was a fun lesson, and I did enjoy it, but I think I still prefer sitting in a quiet room with my trusty pen on hand, ready to analyse the heck out of my poem. Still, it was a welcoming change, one that made literature class divert from being a monotonous one to an exciting one.
Prose has always a favourite of mine, compared to poems as they're easier to comprehend.
I guess the poem is most probably showing the sadistic / pathetic state of London.
“ And mark in every face I meet. Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”
my first thought though was that they didn't belong in the chartered street (eg. terms of status), but perhaps saying that people on the street wasn't feeling good at all.
The following stanzas were abit more difficult to comprehend in my opinion, though a rough idea that people living in London weren't happy, perhaps thoughts of leaving this country as well.
I am not glad that i had to act like a mice, but i am glad i turned into a human, enabling me to type my reflection here.
The lesson was fun, esp. the drama acting part. Something different compared to our normal literature lessons, but something enjoyable :)
P.s, giving out some sweets during lessons WILL BE GREAT!
Poems or stories with old english have always been interesting to read, to say the least. They always give you a brief insigh into what life was like before. The language used by the characters would give us a clue to the social status of the people and a glimpse into their lives.
Analyzing a poem and tearing it apart has always been something I enjoy -to an extent. Every poem is different. Every poet is different. Lesson was fun, dramatizing a poem was...different. Fun but not like anything I've done before. Having to dramatize a poem is quite like dissecting a poem because of the way we have to empathise and imagine how the poet himself was feeling when he wrote the poem.
"London" (by William Blake) manages to capture the despair and the hopelessness of the city at that time. Problems in society- societal and political- were abundant and it is through this poem that Blake puts forward his views on the situation at that time.
In the first stanza, the word "charter'd" could mean hired. So by refering to "charter'd street" and "the charter'd Thames", Blake could very well have been trying to say that London was nothing but a huge facade. The world saw what they were shown. The high classes and their wealth, not the "marks of weakness,marks of woe" on "every face I (Blake) met'.
The phrase "mind-for'd manacles" suggests that the people are prisoners and helpless to the circumstances they have found themselves in. It could also mean that various problems that have been inflicted on society , such as corruption and plague, have been brought upon the people by themselves. It would mean that the people themselves have more or less guaranteed their own pain and suffering.
The third stanza puts forward the helplessness of the people especially with the word "hapless". It could suggest the soldiers helpless loyalty to the Kings' army. The reference to the "chimney-sweeper" could refer to the fact that children were employed as servants and chimney-sweepers to earn a bit of income for their family.
I feel that the last stanza, along with the first one, gives us a broad view on what London was really like then. It shows us that life then was not really perfect. There were young girls out selling their bodies on the streets and there were problems in seemingly-perfect mariages.
The overall message of the poem is that things are not always what they seem to be. There are usually other things behind it. We should not always take things at their face value either. I think this is what Blake was trying to experess through this poem. Also, by changing a ballad (which are generally sickeningly happy) into something like this which is full of despair and desolateness, Blake is emphasizing that things do not always have to be la-di-da happy. There are always problems and no matter how well they are hidden, they are still always there.
The first stanza, “chartered street” shows expresses the financial stateWilliam Blake considered London to be enduring. The line “chartered Thames does flow” shows how corruption has contributed to the weakness of society such that “(m)arks of weakness, marks of woe” can be seen.
The second stanza refers to the invisible barriers, “(t)he mind-forged manacles”, we unconsciously build ourselves in. It shows how people bow down to the rich and the corrupt, of how moral ethnics are being corroded in society.
The third stanza shows how despite the oppression, there are still some who stand up against the corrupt, however, it also emphasizes the hopelessness of the poem. The line “Every blackening church appalls”, refers to the neglect of the people towards religion in their pursuit for power and wealth.
In the last stanza, “the youthful harlot’s curse” refers to contaminating the 'marriage hearse' with 'plague' referring to the spread of venereal disease in the city, from a prostitute by a man to his bride. It shows how marriage can instead become a sentence of death.
Today’s dramatising of William Blake’s poem was very different, though in a good way. It brings us away from the usual pen-and-paper lessons and helps us decipher the poem a little better.
Lesson was special, compared to the previous ones.
The poem, London, depicts London suffering from political unrest.
"Charter'd" in the first stanza expressed the economic control. "Weakness" and "woe" shows the unhappiness in people.
Cries, bans in the second stanza tells that there are sufferings in London. The mind-forg'd manacles refers to the trapped state in London.
In the third stanza, the chimney-sweeper cry and the hapless soldiers sigh. A church gives hope? But instead, there's "runs in blood down palace walls".
The fourth stanza shows spread of disease in the city, passed through prostitute by a man to his bride, so that marriage can become a sentence of death.
"Infants" used in this poem shows the purity and innocence.
The lesson was awkwardly exciting (bamboozled as on how to react with a new style of lesson, and it felt great to have had a minor workout; back ache is not the way to concentrate in class). Although, I thought dramatization of poetry would not have made as much impact as one of a prose – people have alternative views of the poem, and might have felt baffled on other’s interpretations. Also, one could not be very sure as to narrate the poem in a definitive tone – some even chose to be hilarious instead – and that affects the way we see the poem thereafter. (By the who, when is our next unseen prose lesson?)
Its title is simply (straight to the point) “London”. It seems as though Blake had wanted readers to know the cold, harsh facts of London, sans sugarcoating (propaganda might have come to play effectively at that era).
Despite all of the seemingly luxuriant façade (“charter’d street”, “charter’d Thames”) the capital city of Britain seem very much well off (it’s natives) in other countries’ eyes, they never got the opportunity to meet the city’s negative side (“Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”). This also might let those lost out to feel utterly discriminated (feeling their social status is equivalent, if not below, to a native of a much poorer country), living in a prosperous London. It also shows corruption, and could be interpreted that those of the (closer to) aristocratic status are leeching off them; and in doing so, are able to build up an intimidating façade.
Stanza two has Blake explicitly detailing the silenced pains of the sufferers. The pain is drowned (by those of higher status), and “mind-forg’d manacles” shows the constriction that had been imprinted for a long time – the forced pretense to smile, to feel happiness.
“Chimney-sweepers”, being those of the low castes, are being ignored, and retaliation occurs; the Church continues “black’ning”. This, in turn, repels people, as they felt the ignorance in the Church’s part, of cries for help. The “cry” might also have been the chimney-sweeper’s calling out for salvation from the mess that is his suffering; but had been left hanging (diminishing his faith to see light). The soldiers also became resigned that their prayers had been left unanswered; dying in combat and tarnishing the Monarch’s strong figure.
The last stanza shows London’s eroticism; hidden (“midnight streets”, indicating they are discreet to others). It seems to have become too common, and their opinion towards losing virginity has drastically changed – “marriage hearses” are damned (“blights with plagues the marriage hearse”). “Street” also goes back to the beginning, and signifies the circle of how common pained Londoners live.
Hope I make some sense –ducks from imaginary bricks–.
Sorry for the late post!!!! Well, seriously speaking I am unsure of the what message the poet is trying to convey through this poem. So, these are just my thoughts and how i feel! :D Literature lesson that day was seriously fun, and i enjoyed it alot! :D Thankyou Ms Chandran! :D
Upon reading the first stanza, one is able to imagine the streets of London; with banks and money-related places. However, the poet has included "marks of weakness, marks of woe" which certainly shows the feelings of the people who stay around or are walking around the chartered streets. They are not happy, and this is probably due to the fact that the however "chartered" the streets may be, they do not belong to them. This shows that the people are propably living in poverty.
The second stanza supports the message conveyed in the first stanza as it elaborated and describe more about the lives of the people.
The third stanza shows the reactions and happenings of the places, objects and the public who are around the people who are suffering. This is further explained that even the regular things that happen everyday have turned into the negative thoughts of the poet. Why? Because the people were in torture.
The forth stanzas displays more restrictions in the people's lives. For example, "blight with plagues" which refers to the various unexpected yet fateful problems faced in their own lives. They are restricted to be free and to be without worries.
In conclusion, this poem depicts a lonely, enraged and pathetic scene of the London people.
the dramatization was good, made us understand the poem better and lift our spirit too. okay, now on to the poem.
the first stanza talks about money easily available like water easily obtainable from the Thames river. this shows the corruption "enjoyed" by the Londoners.
the second stanza talks about money.money makes the world go round. man are crying because they have not enough money or just simply cant complete in making money in corrupted london. people are chained together in this downward-going corruption in london, they are fighting to survive, and these people that are crying cant break free of the chains.
the third stanza talks about the once bowing society becoming a pathetic disintegrated city. the chimney sweeper cry as he cant compete anymore with the better-paid counterparts. the soldiers sigh as they do not have the will to fight the corruption in the city. blood runs down place walls. maybe people fight to survive, plot and scheme to get riches for themselves in corrupted london.
stanza four talks about women becoming prostitutes, degrading themselves for the sake of money. the consequences are having their clients child, or being infected with diseases. some get married for money, others to make the man resoponsible for making her have a baby.
personally, i really enjoyed the lesson. it was kinda of intereting.... the aim of the lesson did help us to understand and led us to the poem better...
About the poem:
London is a poem by William Blake, published in Songs of Experience in 1794. It is one of the few poems in Songs of Experience which does not have a corresponding poem in Songs of Innocence.
The poem was not published during the aftermath of the French revolution. William Blake was an unorthodox Christian of the dissenting tradition, who felt that the state was abandoning those in need. He was heavily influenced by mystical groups, and believed he had conversations with his dead brother. The poem reflects Blake's extreme disillusionment with the suffering he saw in London.
About the 4th stanza which i stanza which i worked on:
'Harlot', 'marriage hearse' and 'plague' are refered to the spread of sexual disease in the city, passed via a prostitute by a man to his bride, so that marriage can become a sentence of death.
Generally, this poem is about the hectic lifes of London in 18th century when the London faced French Revolution. the poem shows sufferind and the disintergration of the society.
Hmm. i am last to post but i have my reasons like i always do. my sister had to use the computer to do her JC projects. Anyway, today's lesson was new as acting out a poem was never done before and it was rather useful for creating fun in the classroom but for understanding the poetry further, it wasnt that useful. As for the poem, i felt that it was mainly about how London has become a cold and and unfeeling place, with words like the 'hapless soldier and the chimney sweepers cry' and that it is a city heavily influenced about money, where everyone's head is imprinted with the word money, everyone's desire is to have more money. hope that lit lessons can have more of role playing and such as we havent been doing that for some time now. Sorry or posting late.
So sorry for late comments. Basically, i feel that today lesson was quite fun. We get to move around and portray different emotions rather than just stay at our place and rot. I couldnt quite understand the poem. I could only make out the mood and the surface meaning of the poem. The poet was portraying the dark and bleak side of London. It was quite in ironic as to others, London is forever bright and full of hope. But in this poem, everyone is portrayed as sad and depressed. There is corruption and suffering everywhere and the society is showing signs of crumbling. In conclusion, the poet just wanted to portray the dark and bleak side of London and trying to tell everyone that London is not as wonderful and full of hope as everyone thought it to be.
19 comments:
“Old” poems (with King James biblical language) have never been a favourite of mine, especially because most of them are set in relatively obscure contexts in terms of history and the poet’s background; unless most of this information is available it is difficult to do the poem justice, as this article demonstrates. Dissecting a poem is not one of my favorite tasks. [1] Today’s lesson was relatively enjoyable, though ‘dramatizing’ “London” made it feel like a parody of something else. Still, I think Blake said it best on paper.
“London” captures the bleak hopelessness perceived in the city for which the poem was named— social problems and the disintegration of moral standards are addressed in the poem. In the first stanza, the word “charter’d” implies both the financial relevance of the city’s existence as well as the apparently “false” nature of it— the word “charter’d” also implies that the city was “hired” in some way, or deliberately planned and controlled. The second paragraph reinforces the idea of the common people suffering under the restrictions and control.
I thought it was interesting that the first letters of each line in the third stanza spelled “hear” (read vertically), given that Blake repeats the word twice in the poem. The references to the “Church” are an indication of a sort of corruption, with the mention of “chimney-sweepers” and the idea of contamination/soot. Apparently, Blake made attacks on conventional religion at the time, and this particular accusation of the church was the sin of silence: hearing the “chimney-sweeper’s cry”, and yet doing nothing. [2] The “hapless Soldier” perhaps also represents a pawn of the state.
Footnotes
[1] http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/001.html
[2] An analysis of the poem, found online here, gives this explanation: ‘Money is spent on church buildings while children live in poverty, forced to clean chimneys - the soot from which blackens the church walls. To Blake, this makes a mockery of the love and care that should characterise the Christian religion.’
When it comes to choosing between a prose or poetry, I'd very much prefer to do prose as I am not much of an insightful person..
Literature today was...sort of random ? And it was fun too. Brought back childhood memories of me playing "What's The Time Mister Wolf". –Laughs-
Oh wells, Back to my reflection. We then moved on to do a poem -dreads- entitled "London". It was written by William Blake and to me, it was a sadistic one. And when the class was "dissecting" it, I could sense the sorrow and empathise with what and how he described the streets of London.
The lines
“ And mark in every face I meet.
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”
Show that everyone on the street was either depressed or unhappy. Everyone to him was not feeling good at all.
To the poet, London seems to be crumbling. People of London, does not seem happy being there in London. Isn’t it a sign that London has failed socially if it’s people are so upset and in despair ??
The second stanza tells us who are the ones suffering. Even infants are not apred the torture. The sufferings they go through, example, corruption etc, has put them through metal hell as the phrase "mind-fog'd manacles" convey to me that they are mentally trapped and prisoned.
In the third stanza, The "Chimney-sweeper's cry", "hapless Soldiers sigh" and the blood which runs down palace walls tells us that London is bursting with misery.
The fourth stanza concludes that all the author could hear as he was strilling down the streets of London, was, sorrow, misery and despair. The Harlots cursed maybe due to the fact that they are forced to do something against their own will and they were very unwilling about it ?
London to me is a sadistic and yet it forces the reader to empathize with what a sorry state London is in.
Hmm, I'm not sure whether i'm "dissecting" it correctly.. :X
But well, i tried..didn't I ?
CLARA (:
i do not really understand what the entire poem is trying to portray. Is it the negative side of London? Or is it because of William Blake's dislike towards London. But i somehow get the idea that the poem is trying to show how bleak London is and all sorts of anguish in that state.
The lesson is quite enjoyable. I AM GLAD THAT I AM THE VOLUNTEER!! I like the part where we were supposed to act out, especially the Miss Harlot scene.
I really don not know what to write anymore, i am really bad in english . So, i shall end here.
Chanel
William Blake uses the form of ABAB,CDCD,so on for all the 4 stanzas in this particular poem. Basically, I think this poem is just focusing about Blake's negative views on the corrupted London.
Stanza1: "wander" may suggests that the poet is just taking a stroll down the streets, and impose the idea of idling, without any sense of direction. "charter'd Thames does flow" suggests how more people may seems getting richer nowadays. But shows the irony of how having so much money doesn't stop all form of corruption in the society. "And mark in every face I met" suggests how everyone wore almost the same marks(in this case weakness and woe). The next sentence reflects the weakness of this society.
Stanza2: The first 3 sentences in this stanza are basically to describe one scene: mourning. And the “ban”, “mind-forg’d manacles” may be the “human restrictions” we actually created by ourselves unknowingly. And here, it is the scenes like prostitution. Ironically, man is also the one who started with this business. And now, getting upset all about it. Definitely, the chains of corruption is very difficult to break.
Stanza3: All the “Chimney-sweeper’s”, “black’ning Church appalls” and “hapless Soldiers sigh” shows the sense of hopelessness in this poem. Churches are supposed to be very glorious and holy, but Blake cleverly uses this to show the bigger contrast in conveying his message with his poem. The last sentence in this stanza suggests the continuous flow in “blood”. Also soldiers should protect the palace, but seems useless and helpless.
Stanza4: Suggest how common is prostitution. And both “Blasts the new-born Infant’s tear” and “blights with plagues the marriage hearse” are scenes of happiness and joy. It also conveys the poet’s message to urge everyone to stop all these corruptions and let this world be filled with joy.
Here, this poem ends with a stanza similar to the 1st, with the image of the streets.
The first stanza was about the streets of London; literally littered with money. “Where the charter’d Thames does flow” means that money flows like a river, easily available. Everyone’s face has a story to tell, weathered with vulnerability and depression. So London might be a place for business, but not for cultivating relationships, not in this materialistic place.
The second stanza was about the dolor felt in every being in London. Men cry because of the reality in the world run by money, so corrupted. The youth cry because they worry for themselves, whether they are going to join in the inevitable rat race in London. “In every voice: in every ban, The mind forg’d manacles I hear.” The people are locked in the neverending downward spiral, losing their humane mind for money. There are unwritten rules that they should always be in competition against one another, and the last one standing is supreme. The society in London crumbles under their hostility. Everyone carries a knife behind their smile.
The third stanza is about the last glimmer of hope in London’s society. But they are hopeless, they cannot go against the flow of society effectively. A chimney-sweeper, albeit finding his mind, is not a match to the high-flying businessmen, and can only look on as they destroy themselves for the economy. This shows that the people in London have to be unscrupulous and scheming to succeed. The “hapless soldier sighs”, as he loses his will to fight against the dirty flow of society, and loses hope as the current grows stronger. It is as if there is war all over again in London.
The fourth stanza is about what’s behind the scenes in London. The youthful women degrade themselves by prostitution for money. Then comes the unexpected “gift” from their clients, and the mothers curse their luck. Others experience the worse consequence of all, diseases borne from their job. Others tie themselves to marriage, for the sake of money or because they demand responsibility from the male party for their STD or children. This shows that people are willing to pit themselves in risk for the sake of money.
First off, the poet manipulates the true nature of a ballad to create a mournful atmosphere from what was supposed to be a joyous and festive poetry form. This ironic disposition can be seen to reflect the situation of the real world and its advances throughout the ages. Progression is meant to shape our world into a comfortable and utopian paradise; yet, poverty still prevail amongst the self-absorbed, ignorant rich men, too dedicated for the quest for wealth and economical power to empathize with the poor. Is this what progression means, a modern “survival of the fittest” where only the wealthy shall succeed, where the deprived are left to suffer on the bottom of the financial hierarchy?
William Blake hopes to enforce exactly this contradictory irony. He contemplates the financial status of London, where he believes every street of London is “charter’d”. He laments how London, in its economical boom, had led to every part of it being ‘leased’. The public is now effectively robbed of the freedom to roam the streets, instead being forced under the watchful look of a “Big Brother”, or the hirer, so to speak. William is disgusted by this “dictatorial” control, as he remarked on how London is “charter’d” twice, reinforcing the motion of a sold London.
William implies that this “fragile” economy will have a negative impact on both the poor and the wealthy. Every poverty stricken people will be tortured under the oppressive nature of London, where their low financial status will only spite the rich; hence, their “mark of woe”. The rich, though powerful in many aspects, will fall when the economy falls, and therefore their “mark of weakness”.
The second stanza sees William acknowledging that man is doomed to fail under an oppressive regime only interested with economical power. The “mind-forg’d manacles” suggests William’s belief that every man are chained in this downward spiral, resigned to how they will regret when their obsessive need for wealth sucks the world dry, leaving only coldness and fierce competitions to sate their need for wealth, neglecting true happiness.
The third stanza talks about the people who still protest against the desire for wealth. The chimney-sweeper, a man of humility status-wise, cries as he sees London crumble into a wreck of economic gain. The church, one of the last groups still dedicated to religion rather than finance, blackens due to the neglect of the people towards it.
The fourth stanza finishes William’s poem with reference to London’s overall decay. He despises how the street of London fills with Harlots, or prostitutes, corrupting the streets with their regret and despair, all in order to earn some money. The infant noted in the nest sentence talks about the next generation, born from a prostitute, perhaps an allusion to how that generation is doomed to face the consequences the previous generation had caused. William ends the poem with a regretful sentence on how marriage is “plagued” perhaps suggesting that by marrying and henceforth procreating, it would only force the child to suffer under the bleak world.
My analysis may not be true. Many of it is simply conjectures, though I do try my best to find evidence from the poem.
I find that day’s lesson to be... different. That’s not to say it was bad, but it was far from what I expected from a literature class. It was a fun lesson, and I did enjoy it, but I think I still prefer sitting in a quiet room with my trusty pen on hand, ready to analyse the heck out of my poem. Still, it was a welcoming change, one that made literature class divert from being a monotonous one to an exciting one.
Prose has always a favourite of mine, compared to poems as they're easier to comprehend.
I guess the poem is most probably showing the sadistic / pathetic state of London.
“ And mark in every face I meet.
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”
my first thought though was that they didn't belong in the chartered street (eg. terms of status), but perhaps saying that people on the street wasn't feeling good at all.
The following stanzas were abit more difficult to comprehend in my opinion, though a rough idea that people living in London weren't happy, perhaps thoughts of leaving this country as well.
I am not glad that i had to act like a mice, but i am glad i turned into a human, enabling me to type my reflection here.
The lesson was fun, esp. the drama acting part. Something different compared to our normal literature lessons, but something enjoyable :)
P.s, giving out some sweets during lessons WILL BE GREAT!
FIONA.
Poems or stories with old english have always been interesting to read, to say the least. They always give you a brief insigh into what life was like before. The language used by the characters would give us a clue to the social status of the people and a glimpse into their lives.
Analyzing a poem and tearing it apart has always been something I enjoy -to an extent. Every poem is different. Every poet is different. Lesson was fun, dramatizing a poem was...different. Fun but not like anything I've done before. Having to dramatize a poem is quite like dissecting a poem because of the way we have to empathise and imagine how the poet himself was feeling when he wrote the poem.
"London" (by William Blake) manages to capture the despair and the hopelessness of the city at that time. Problems in society- societal and political- were abundant and it is through this poem that Blake puts forward his views on the situation at that time.
In the first stanza, the word "charter'd" could mean hired. So by refering to "charter'd street" and "the charter'd Thames", Blake could very well have been trying to say that London was nothing but a huge facade. The world saw what
they were shown. The high classes and their wealth, not the "marks of weakness,marks of woe" on "every face I (Blake) met'.
The phrase "mind-for'd manacles" suggests that the people are prisoners and helpless to the circumstances they have found themselves in. It could also
mean that various problems that have been inflicted on society , such as corruption and plague, have been brought upon the people by themselves. It would mean that the people themselves have more or less guaranteed their own pain and suffering.
The third stanza puts forward the helplessness of the people especially with the word "hapless". It could suggest the soldiers helpless loyalty to the Kings' army. The reference to the "chimney-sweeper" could refer to the fact that children were employed as servants and chimney-sweepers to earn a bit of income for their family.
I feel that the last stanza, along with the first one, gives us a broad view on what London was really like then. It shows us that life then was not really
perfect. There were young girls out selling their bodies on the streets and there were problems in seemingly-perfect mariages.
The overall message of the poem is that things are not always what they seem to be. There are usually other things behind it. We should not always take things at their face value either. I think this is what Blake was trying to experess through this poem. Also, by changing a ballad (which are generally sickeningly happy) into something like this which is full of despair and desolateness, Blake is emphasizing that things do not always have to be la-di-da happy. There are always problems and no matter how well they are hidden, they are still always there.
-Shreya Bhat(20)
3e2!
The first stanza, “chartered street” shows expresses the financial stateWilliam Blake considered London to be enduring. The line “chartered Thames does flow” shows how corruption has contributed to the weakness of society such that “(m)arks of weakness, marks of woe” can be seen.
The second stanza refers to the invisible barriers, “(t)he mind-forged manacles”, we unconsciously build ourselves in. It shows how people bow down to the rich and the corrupt, of how moral ethnics are being corroded in society.
The third stanza shows how despite the oppression, there are still some who stand up against the corrupt, however, it also emphasizes the hopelessness of the poem. The line “Every blackening church appalls”, refers to the neglect of the people towards religion in their pursuit for power and wealth.
In the last stanza, “the youthful harlot’s curse” refers to contaminating the 'marriage hearse' with 'plague' referring to the spread of venereal disease in the city, from a prostitute by a man to his bride. It shows how marriage can instead become a sentence of death.
Today’s dramatising of William Blake’s poem was very different, though in a good way. It brings us away from the usual pen-and-paper lessons and helps us decipher the poem a little better.
kellie((:
Lesson was special, compared to the previous ones.
The poem, London, depicts London suffering from political unrest.
"Charter'd" in the first stanza expressed the economic control. "Weakness" and "woe" shows the unhappiness in people.
Cries, bans in the second stanza tells that there are sufferings in London. The mind-forg'd manacles refers to the trapped state in London.
In the third stanza, the chimney-sweeper cry and the hapless soldiers sigh. A church gives hope? But instead, there's "runs in blood down palace walls".
The fourth stanza shows spread of disease in the city, passed through prostitute by a man to his bride, so that marriage can become a sentence of death.
"Infants" used in this poem shows the purity and innocence.
The lesson was awkwardly exciting (bamboozled as on how to react with a new style of lesson, and it felt great to have had a minor workout; back ache is not the way to concentrate in class). Although, I thought dramatization of poetry would not have made as much impact as one of a prose – people have alternative views of the poem, and might have felt baffled on other’s interpretations. Also, one could not be very sure as to narrate the poem in a definitive tone – some even chose to be hilarious instead – and that affects the way we see the poem thereafter.
(By the who, when is our next unseen prose lesson?)
Its title is simply (straight to the point) “London”. It seems as though Blake had wanted readers to know the cold, harsh facts of London, sans sugarcoating (propaganda might have come to play effectively at that era).
Despite all of the seemingly luxuriant façade (“charter’d street”, “charter’d Thames”) the capital city of Britain seem very much well off (it’s natives) in other countries’ eyes, they never got the opportunity to meet the city’s negative side (“Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”). This also might let those lost out to feel utterly discriminated (feeling their social status is equivalent, if not below, to a native of a much poorer country), living in a prosperous London. It also shows corruption, and could be interpreted that those of the (closer to) aristocratic status are leeching off them; and in doing so, are able to build up an intimidating façade.
Stanza two has Blake explicitly detailing the silenced pains of the sufferers. The pain is drowned (by those of higher status), and “mind-forg’d manacles” shows the constriction that had been imprinted for a long time – the forced pretense to smile, to feel happiness.
“Chimney-sweepers”, being those of the low castes, are being ignored, and retaliation occurs; the Church continues “black’ning”. This, in turn, repels people, as they felt the ignorance in the Church’s part, of cries for help. The “cry” might also have been the chimney-sweeper’s calling out for salvation from the mess that is his suffering; but had been left hanging (diminishing his faith to see light). The soldiers also became resigned that their prayers had been left unanswered; dying in combat and tarnishing the Monarch’s strong figure.
The last stanza shows London’s eroticism; hidden (“midnight streets”, indicating they are discreet to others). It seems to have become too common, and their opinion towards losing virginity has drastically changed – “marriage hearses” are damned (“blights with plagues the marriage hearse”). “Street” also goes back to the beginning, and signifies the circle of how common pained Londoners live.
Hope I make some sense –ducks from imaginary bricks–.
Adinda Dj.
Sorry for the late post!!!! Well, seriously speaking I am unsure of the what message the poet is trying to convey through this poem. So, these are just my thoughts and how i feel! :D Literature lesson that day was seriously fun, and i enjoyed it alot! :D Thankyou Ms Chandran! :D
Upon reading the first stanza, one is able to imagine the streets of London; with banks and money-related places. However, the poet has included "marks of weakness, marks of woe" which certainly shows the feelings of the people who stay around or are walking around the chartered streets. They are not happy, and this is probably due to the fact that the however "chartered" the streets may be, they do not belong to them. This shows that the people are propably living in poverty.
The second stanza supports the message conveyed in the first stanza as it elaborated and describe more about the lives of the people.
The third stanza shows the reactions and happenings of the places, objects and the public who are around the people who are suffering. This is further explained that even the regular things that happen everyday have turned into the negative thoughts of the poet. Why? Because the people were in torture.
The forth stanzas displays more restrictions in the people's lives. For example, "blight with plagues" which refers to the various unexpected yet fateful problems faced in their own lives. They are restricted to be free and to be without worries.
In conclusion, this poem depicts a lonely, enraged and pathetic scene of the London people.
okay, hope i made sense :D SEEYA! :D
the dramatization was good, made us understand the poem better and lift our spirit too. okay, now on to the poem.
the first stanza talks about money easily available like water easily obtainable from the Thames river. this shows the corruption "enjoyed" by the Londoners.
the second stanza talks about money.money makes the world go round. man are crying because they have not enough money or just simply cant complete in making money in corrupted london. people are chained together in this downward-going corruption in london, they are fighting to survive, and these people that are crying cant break free of the chains.
the third stanza talks about the once bowing society becoming a pathetic disintegrated city. the chimney sweeper cry as he cant compete anymore with the better-paid counterparts. the soldiers sigh as they do not have the will to fight the corruption in the city. blood runs down place walls. maybe people fight to survive, plot and scheme to get riches for themselves in corrupted london.
stanza four talks about women becoming prostitutes, degrading themselves for the sake of money. the consequences are having their clients child, or being infected with diseases. some get married for money, others to make the man resoponsible for making her have a baby.
SORRY< i think i'm the latest!!!!opss....
personally, i really enjoyed the lesson. it was kinda of intereting.... the aim of the lesson did help us to understand and led us to the poem better...
About the poem:
London is a poem by William Blake, published in Songs of Experience in 1794. It is one of the few poems in Songs of Experience which does not have a corresponding poem in Songs of Innocence.
The poem was not published during the aftermath of the French revolution. William Blake was an unorthodox Christian of the dissenting tradition, who felt that the state was abandoning those in need. He was heavily influenced by mystical groups, and believed he had conversations with his dead brother. The poem reflects Blake's extreme disillusionment with the suffering he saw in London.
About the 4th stanza which i stanza which i worked on:
'Harlot', 'marriage hearse' and 'plague' are refered to the spread of sexual disease in the city, passed via a prostitute by a man to his bride, so that marriage can become a sentence of death.
Generally, this poem is about the hectic lifes of London in 18th century when the London faced French Revolution. the poem shows sufferind and the disintergration of the society.
Hmm. i am last to post but i have my reasons like i always do. my sister had to use the computer to do her JC projects. Anyway, today's lesson was new as acting out a poem was never done before and it was rather useful for creating fun in the classroom but for understanding the poetry further, it wasnt that useful. As for the poem, i felt that it was mainly about how London has become a cold and and unfeeling place, with words like the 'hapless soldier and the chimney sweepers cry' and that it is a city heavily influenced about money, where everyone's head is imprinted with the word money, everyone's desire is to have more money. hope that lit lessons can have more of role playing and such as we havent been doing that for some time now. Sorry or posting late.
Ong Hong Zhang (33)
So sorry for late comments. Basically, i feel that today lesson was quite fun. We get to move around and portray different emotions rather than just stay at our place and rot. I couldnt quite understand the poem. I could only make out the mood and the surface meaning of the poem. The poet was portraying the dark and bleak side of London. It was quite in ironic as to others, London is forever bright and full of hope. But in this poem, everyone is portrayed as sad and depressed. There is corruption and suffering everywhere and the society is showing signs of crumbling. In conclusion, the poet just wanted to portray the dark and bleak side of London and trying to tell everyone that London is not as wonderful and full of hope as everyone thought it to be.
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