London

By William Blake

Willaim Blake (1757-1827) was an English poet, painter, and visionary, whose work combines profound spiritual themes with intense, often mystical imagery. Blake’s unique style blends poetry and visual art, making him a pioneer figure in Romantic literature and art. His work, though underappreciated in his lifetime, is now celebrated for its originality and depth.

The poem is written by English poet William Blake. It describes a walk through the streets of London which is presented as an oppressive and impoverished city in pain and all the poet can find in this city is misery and dejection. It especially focuses on the sounds coming from the city with men women and children crying throughout the poem. This is also somewhat a response to the Industrial Revolution, but more than anything is a fierce critique of humankind’s failure to build a society based on love, joy, freedom, and connection with God.

Text of the poem

I wander thro’ each charter’d street,

Near where the charter’d Thames does flow.

And mark in every face I meet

Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

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

How the Chimney-sweepers cry

Every blackning Church appalls,

And the hapless Soldiers sigh

Runs in blood down Palace walls

But most thro’ midnight streets I hear

How the youthful Harlots curse

Blasts the new-born Infants tear

And blights walks with plagues the Marriage hearse

Summary

The speaker strolls through the streets of London. The speaker walks near the river Thames whose course has been dictated for it as it flows throughout the city. The speaker sees signs of resignation and sadness in the faces of every person the speaker walks by.

The speaker can feel this pain in the cries of men as well as those of fearful newborn babies. In fact, in each voice of the city, in every law or restriction London places on its population, the speaker can sense people’s feelings of being oppressed by city life.

The speaker listens to the cry of young chimney sweeper boys whose misery disgraces the church authorities. Thinking of the British soldiers who are dying in vain, the speaker imagines their blood running down the walls of the palace.

The speaker listens to the cry of young chimney sweeper boys whose misery humiliates the church authorities. Thinking of the British soldiers who are dying in vain, the speaker imagines their blood running down the walls of the palace.