Speaker wanders through streets of London, commenting on what he sees. Criticises the church, monarchy and government
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Structure?
Use of repetition, constant cycle?
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Context?
Blake lived in London during Victorian era, a time of great poverty.
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Beginning: 'I wander thro''
Using first person, shows that he is seeing it with his own eyes and recalling his own observations.
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Beginning: 'Marks of weakness, marks of woe'
Repetition of the word 'marks' is a heavy reminder of the physical scarring and obvious suffering.
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Middle : repetition of 'In every'
Shows just how much everyone is affected and the proof that it is hard to escape poverty.
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Middle: 'Every black'ning Church'
Shows Blake's anger towards the church. Adjective 'blackening'= the church being corrupt.
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End: 'blights with plagues'
Shows that poverty is like the plague, easy to be swarmed into, but hard to recover from it. The pain and suffering swarms London just like the plague does.
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