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Similarities
- PLACE: Both poets portray the settings of their poems as chaotic places to live. Blake uses the phrase “cry of fear…cry” which implicitly shows the pain and struggle the inhabitants of London go through daily and explicitly shows the noise and chaos of living in London. Dharker’s use of the adverb “balance crookedly” shows the dangerous living conditions the people have to endure and the precarious nature of their homes, creating a sense of chaos within the slums.
- HOUSING: The living conditions shown in both plays are portrayed as cramped, claustrophobic and busy. In London, Blake mentions several different character types whom all live within the capital city such as “Man”, “Infants”, “Chimney-sweepers”, “Soldiers” etc. This shows the mass of people that all live together in London and the variety of people and their shared struggles. In Living Space, Dharker uses the verb “squeezed” when describing the living spaces that the people of the slums create which highlights the crowded, confined conditions.
- SOCIETY: It is made clear in both poems that governments have forgotten and ignored these places. Blakes use of the adjective “black’ning Church” implies the church is corrupt and shows his anger towards them as they have failed the children they ‘took care of’ and haven’t helped the people of London. He also uses the phrase “runs in blood down Palace walls” which suggests the soldiers are dying due to pointless wars. Blake is blaming the monarchy for the deaths of the soldiers as the metaphor “runs in blood” implies the monarchy is murdering the soldiers. The government has ignored the people of London and disregarded their basic rights and needs. Dharker uses “not enough” which criticises the rich/western views of the slums and suggests they don’t appreciate the beauty of the slums. “Wire basket” is also used to imply the metaphorical prison the people of these slums are put in by the government and the fragility of life in the city. Dharker uses sarcasm against the negative views of the city and shows her appreciation of these people to contrast the government’s ignorance of these places of poverty.
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Differences
- PEOPLE: Blake shows the people of London city as miserable, depressed and in a constant state of despair. The image of “mind-forg’d manacles” implies they are trapped emotionally in society and their social class. It also shows the despairing views of mankind and the metaphorical chains created by their own ideas. Blakes also writes with a melancholy tone in the phrase “marks of weakness, marks of woe”. Gloom and sadness seeps from his tone and mirrors the same gloom and sadness felt by the inhabitants of London. Opposed to this, Dharker celebrates the people of Mumbai and admires their ability to hope despite their living conditions forcing them to be vulnerable and daring every day. She emphasises how unique and special the society is using the adjective “miraculous” which also shows the existence of these people and their living spaces as a miracle. The metaphor of the “bright thin walls of faith” implies that their optimism protects them from the harsh reality of their lives.
- HOUSING: Despite both settings being cramped and crowded, London is shown to be organised whereas Mumbai is haphazard and lacks order. Blake uses the word “charter’d” when describing London which suggests the city is mapped out, under government control and likens it to a cage showing both the physical and mental limitations of the city. The Thames is also described as “charter’d” which implies even the freedom of the lake is put under stress. Contrasting to this, Dharker creates a semantic field of a careless, random environment using the words “slanted”, “crookedly”, “leans”. This place is precarious and a ramshackle living space with no organisation or order.
- SOCIETY: Even though there is some similarity in the way society is treated or, in fact, ignored, in both poems, the two poets shows the different ways in which society persevere through their problems or don’t in some cases. Blake shows the people of London are hopeless and highlights how society is ruining itself. “In very cry of every man” suggests the size of the issue in the city as it impacts children and adults; no one can escape poverty. Society is metaphorically imprisoned however Blake insinuates the people have accepted, feel hopeless and aren’t willing to make a change. Dharker, on the other hand, celebrates the resilience of the people and their ability to fen for themselves. They’re described as “gathering the light into themselves”. “Light’ represents hope and links to the theme of faith and religion present throughout the play. The use of verb “squeezed” also highlights how the people manufacture their own homes, showing them to be resourceful and resilient.
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Overall comparison
Both poems highlight the struggles that people of poverty face all over the world, currently and in past centuries. Dharker and Blake raise awareness of these problems and attempt to be the voices of the people who require assistance and recognition from the government. Even though there are differences in the attitudes of society in the poems, both are faced with the same issues and need the same solutions.
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