Power and Conflict - London quote analysis

"I wander through each chartered street,

Near where the chartered Thames does flow"

- 'wander' seems purposeless could reflect how he feels powerless to change whats happening 

- 'chartered' reflects how the government is in control, suggests everything is being controlled (even the Thames - man has tried to control nature) 

" And mark in every face I meet

Marks of weakness, marks of woe"

- The last line has a waek rhythm perhaps reflecting how the people are weak against the government 

- Reptition of 'mark' suggests everyone is marked/ affected and emphasises the desperation hovering over London

"In every....

In every ....

In every .... "

- The repition of emphasises the feeling of bleakness, despair affects everyone and theirs no relief from it 

- Anaphora used to show how suffering is never ending, also used to draw attention to the second half of the sentence (the parts that are changing)

"infants cry of fear"

- Blake uses senses to make it seem more vivid, like the readers there 

- Uses synesthesia to also make the image stronger 

- Also refers to children and innocence suggesting even they are affected, is also emotive language making the reader feel for the corrputed innocence 

"mind-forged manacles"

- The people are also trapped in their thoughts and attitudes 

- The people are trapping themselves, by not creating change for themselves, just doing what theyre told (Blake was a radicalist who wanted change) 

"How the chimney-sweepers cry"

- Emotive language of child labour, chimney sweepers were usally young boys 

-  Perhaps blames the industral revoltion, the people putting the boys in these dangerous jobs?

"Every black'ning church appalls" 

- Blames the church, 'blackning' could suggest that the church is corrupt 

- THe corrupt church could also be making the people 'un-pure', they go to church for their sould to be cleansed but the church could really be blackning their souls

- Could reference to religion repressing the people 

- 'blackning' is a present participal suggesting that its still happening and has been going on for long time 

- also could refer to soot, the church is making the rest of the city dirty with soot 

"And the hapless soliders sigh"

- The army is also being controlled 

- 'hapless' , shows their helpless and have to do what they are told by the people who are causing the suffering 

"Runs in blood down palace walls" 

- Whilst ordinary people suffer, the ones behind the palace walls are protected and are also to blame for the suffering 

- Referencing the French Revolution, Blake wants the people to overthrow the monarchy, but the people are stuck in their 'mind-forged manacles' 

"How the youthful harlots curse,

blasts the new-born infants tear"

- Contrasts the innocence of youth with prositutes, to show the distruction of the city and hwo everything (including new-borns) have been destroyed 

"And blights with plagues the marriage hearse"

- Oxymoron links the happy image of marriage to death suggesting everything happy has been destroyed 

- 'Plauges' hints at something uncontrollable and destined to affect lots of people