Summary:
A comparison of the poems "London" by William Blake and "Composed Upon A Westminster Bridge" by William Wordsworth. The poems take opposing viewpoints with regard to the city of London; Blake takes a generally negative view, while Wordsworth takes a generally positive one.
Compare the presentation of London in the selection of poems you have studied
In this essay I will be comparing 'London' by William Blake and 'Composed Upon A Westminster Bridge' by William Wordsworth.
Place is very important in poems because poets throughout life get there idea's and inspiration from the place that they are in. The atmosphere chooses whether the poem will be positive or negative and it will make a point on society and people. I am going to focus on how the two different poets have viewed London over time. To do this I am going to be referring to five poems but mainly two. They are: 'London' by William Blake, 'Composed Upon A Westminster Bridge' by William Wordsworth, 'London' by William Wordsworth, 'Trivia' by John Gay and 'To The Great Metropolis' by Arthur Hugh Clough.
William Wordsworth was born on April the 7th in 1770 and he died at the age of 80 on April the 13th in 1850. He was a major poet of the Romantic Movement. Wordsworth wrote some poems called 'Surprised By Joy and also 'Perfect Woman'. He was a romantic poet.
William Blake was born on November the 28th in 1757 and he died at the age of 70 on August the 12th in 1827. Blake was a very visionary artist and poet. His most famous work was 'Songs Of Innocence And Experience'
He also was a romantic poet
In the poem 'London' by William Blake his attitude to London negative. He shows this when he says in line 10 'Every black'ning Church appalls ' this is associated with dirty and morally corrupt. Also it says 'Marks of weakness, marks of woe' this could mean that everywhere he goes he meets people who are weak and who are unhappy to be living in London. This could be why he writes a negative poem about the city. In the poem 'Composed Upon A Westminster Bridge' by William Wordsworth his attitude to London is the complete opposite to William Blake's. This is a positive poem because his first line says ' Earth has nothing to show more fair' this means that London is a beautiful place to be. He also says that 'And all that mighty heart is lying still' This means that London is the heart of the earth and that everywhere should be like it then the world would be a more beautiful place. 'To The Great Metropolis' also comments on the mighty heart of London but Arthur Hugh Clough is doing it in a negatively way by saying that it is anything but a mighty nations heart. Also Both poets comment on the Thames River. Blake says 'Near where the charter'd Thames does flow' this means that means that nothing isn't free anymore, as you have to pay to ride on the river Thames and Wordsworth says 'The river glideth at his own sweet will' this means that the river runs smoothly on it's own without any help, but in Wordsworth other poem, 'London', he is saying that it is like a 'fen of stagnant waters'
Wordsworth uses personification in his poem one example of this is when he says 'The river glideth at his own sweet will' He has given the river a gender. He also uses similes one example of this is when he says 'Like a garment' this means that London fits in with it's natural surroundings and harmony. He also uses metaphors in his poems. One example of this is when he says 'And all that mighty heart is lying still' this is associated with power and that it is vital to life because you couldn't live without a heart. It may also mean that London is the heart of the world. Blake uses an oxymoron when he says 'And blights with plagues the marriage hearse' this is an oxymoron because it has the word Marriage that is a happy thing and then it has Hearse, which is the type of car you go to a funeral in. All of these help establish the poets' point of view because it puts into your mind a picture.
Visual imagery is used by both poets Wordsworth concentrates largely on what he sees but it is positive, a peaceful scene with beautiful buildings e.g. when he says 'all bright and glittering' and 'in his first splender' the significance of this is that it is detached from the city and that it is early in the morning and very quiet. Like looking at a picture. Blake uses it when he says things like cry sigh and curse where we would associate these with pain and suffering. Blake also blames things when he talks about the 'charter'd streets' and the 'charter'd Thames' and the church 'every blackening church', which can mean that it is dirty and morally corrupt. He also blames the government and authority ' Hapless soldier' and 'Runs in blood' which may give the image of a violent and lawless city.
Blake's 'London' is in 1st person because he is talking about what he did and what he saw, but it isn't very personal. Wordsworth hasn't really got a personal approach.
'Composed Upon A Westminster Bridge' is a positive poem that shows all the good things like how beautiful it is when the sun comes up but 'London' by Wordsworth is a negative one. This shows that Wordsworth has considered both sides of London because they were both wrote in the same year. 'Trivia' by John Gay is negative and positive. It starts off negatively and then goes on positively.
Blake's poem has a regular rhyme and rhythm and reflects on the fact that he is walking around London so it has a regular pace. This also reflects the idea of an ongoing cycle of poverty and degradation. This poem is pessimistic because he is acting like there is no escape and nobody can change. Wordsworth's poem is a sonnet. It is introducing, supporting and concluding a particular argument or an opinion when it says 'Earth has not anything to show more fair'
Wordsworth's poem shows that even though London isn't the cleanest place or the most expensive place in the world it still represents how beautiful it is and how many people love it there. Blake's poem shows that London is shabby and very ugly, he says that all he can hear is cry's and curse's but he is exaggerating as that is not true because there were not prostitutes everywhere in London as he is saying.
Overall I think that London is a very inspiring place as there are over 50,000 poems about London both negative and positive. It has inspired poets because of its beauty, some for it's importance, some for its vitality, some for its depravity and some because it represents the state of society. For me London is the mighty heart of the world.
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