Question 1

London by William Blake Context?

Accepted Answer

William Blake was born in London in 1757. He was a poet and painter, and is considered to be a major contributor to the Romantic movement. Romantics were interested in the power of nature, humanity and emotion; they were opposed to the industrialisation and scientific progress which were sweeping through Europe at the time. They were also concerned about the rights of the poor, feeling that they were often exploited by the Establishment.
Blake wrote and illustrated many poems, including Songs of Innocence and Experience, a collection which explored the ‘two contrary states of the human soul’. London belongs to Songs of Experience.

Question 2

London by William Blake Structure?

Accepted Answer

London is divided into four stanzas (known as quatrains) with an ABAB rhyming scheme. This gives it a very simple rhythm, which reflects its place as a song in Blake’s collection. The poem is structured so that the reader is touring the city with Blake, taking in the sights and sounds that he sees and hears as he wanders through the streets. In the first stanza he mentions that he is close to the Thames, and there is a sense that he is meandering with the river as he makes his observations. In the first quatrain, Blake is concerned with what he can see, but in the second quatrain he starts to describe what he can hear, and it is the addition of this sensory element which gives the poem its impact as it progresses.

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Revise London by William Blake: Power and Conflict Poems