London

'London'

• Simple title suggests it is a bleak place and there is no need to elaborate because just the mention of London reminds people of the poverty and pain there                                          
• 'I wandered thro' each charter'd street'

• It is about the poverty and suffering in London and the separation between the rich and poor which is shown by 'charter'd' which is repeated

• Blake lived most of his life in London
• London is part of his 'Songs of Experince' collection which is pessimistic view of the world although his other poetry is positive showing how there are two ways to view the world
• He jejected established religion
• It relates to the French revolution

'And mark in every face i meet/Marks of weakness, marks of woe'

• First person makes it more real as he met real people who lived in London
• Weakness and woe show how Blake only knew misery in London and 'every' emphasises that it is widespread and he is saddened that everyone is living in a state of misery 
• It also shows that the only thing we are equal in is saddness

'The mind-forg's manacles'

Metaphor - We are trapped by the limitations we put on ouselves and manacles suggets we are slaves to societies rules

'Every black'ning Church appalls'

Personification - Suggests the church has failed in it's duty to help the poor and is appled at it's own failure

'And the hapless Soldier's sigh/Runs in blood down Palace walls

Antithesis - Soldier and palace are capitalised to emphasise how the soldiers are risking their lives and their blood stains the protected palace showing that by the rich not helping the poor they have blood on their hands.

'Infant's cry' 'Infants tear'

Repetition - the poverty hurts the weak and innocent the most

• Iamabic Pentameter with four four line stanzas suggets entrapment
• The rules of the structure represent how society's problems are caused by rules
• Rhyme scheme mimicks the laws and control over people
• It flow like normal speech showing that this is normal everyday life for some people