LONDON, William Blake: Summary & Analysis
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"LONDON" by William Blake is a powerful poem that serves as a social critique of the conditions and injustices faced by the people of London during the late 18th century. The poem depicts a city plagued by suffering, poverty, and moral degradation, while also criticizing the institutions that perpetuate these issues. LONDON by William Blake I wandered through each chartered street,
Near where the chartered Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet,
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.
In every cry of every man,
In every infant’s cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forged manacles I hear:
How the chimney-sweeper’s cry
Every blackening church appals,
And the hapless soldier’s sigh
Runs in blood down palace-walls.
But most, through midnight streets I hear
How the youthful harlot’s curse
Blasts the new-born infant’s tear,
And blights with plagues the marriage-hearse. Critical Analysis "London" is a poignant critique of the social, political, and moral co…