London by William Blake and Composed upon Westminster Bridge bt William Wordsworth Essay

The Revolution in France coincided with the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution of England. During this period the rich became richer, the poor became scour poorer, and major towns or cities became over crowded. The thoughts and feelings of the people living finishedout the country at this condemnation, often were expressed in poetic form. Two such poems set around the similar time and both set in capital of the United Kingdom be London, by William Blake and William Wordsworths Composed Upon Westminster Bridge.London is written nine long time in front Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, and split ups of the worthless of the people of London. A uniform and exact feeling is sensed in the opening two lines of the poem, as both streets and the Thames ar described as being chartered and something which is chartered is very exact and has a definite and set outline. The next two lines ending the first stanza tell of weakness and woe in every face Blake meets, meaning there is sad ness and regret along with vulnerability sensed by him as he passes people along his journey.The first two lines of the second stanza read of the cry of both men and infants. The reason why infants cry is beca aim they butt jointnot say what is hurting or annoying them. Therefore we ar led to realise that the suffering felt by the adults of London or of Man as it were, is so intense that even they cannot verbalise it and so they cry out. Ending the second stanza we read that the poet hears mind-forgd manacles. These are forms of alarms, enforced into the minds of people, holding them back from doing or saying certain things. We are told these fears are found in every persons voice, in every ban, meaning that these common fears are sensed by the poet, in every person he encounters.The opening lines of the tierce stanza again tells of crying and also now of admonition. In this case the chimney-sweepers cry is heard. In those old age chimney-sweepers were young children forced to g o out to work by their families. They did very difficult and pain staking work for very little money it shows their pain and suffering in doing so. Condemnation comes from the church. The religious leaders are appalled at the fact of this, yet the poet describes the church as swarthyening, giving us the conceit of an unpleasant refuge which turns a blind eye on the suffering of the sweeps. The closing two lines of the third stanza reads of a hapless soldiers breathe run in blood down the Palace walls. This conveys to us that the hopelessness felt by soldiers is stemming from the fact that their wel colde is not considered by those in charge. The soldier is sent to war by a ruler who cares little for him.The first three lines of the net stanza tells us that the majority of noise heard comes from youthful fancy womans curses/ which blasts the new born Infants tear. This performer that a lot of the noise heard during the night comes from young prostitutes shouting at young babie s to be quiet because they are crying. An uncomfortable and unsettling mix is created through the contrast of these young women who sell their bodies for sex, yelling at young, fearful and unadulterated infants.The final line is an ominous one containing the statement And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse. The fact that we are told of how the prostitutes are blighting with plagues the Marriage hearse is significant Marriage usually means a vivification just starting out with someone else, this contrasts with a hearse which carries coffins and so is usually linked with death and hence symbolises the end of a life. The curse and word of honors associated with disease give us a sense that sexually transmitted diseases are quickly spreading and they are readily killing all of society. Overall Blake takes a negative and strict viewing point of London which echoes the great suffering of the day.Another poem, set in London and written just nine years after London offers a contras ting tone to Blakes. It is William Wordsworths Composed Upon Westminster Bridge.Composed Upon Westminster Bridge is a similar poem to London as the poet is the one travelling through the London it describes, yet the poems contrast greatly. Wordsworth opens with an emphatic statement, praising London as he says it surpasses anything on the earth. In the second and third line Wordsworth makes the statement Dull would he be of soul who could pass by/A sight so touching in its majesty which means one would have to be dead inside if he/she couldnt appreciate such hit. The fact that Wordsworth uses the word majesty offers a regal sense, a regal bag giving us the idea of just how grand and magnificent this city actually is. This contrasts well with the disease ridden city described by Blake, using such words as plague and blight, giving the city an altogether unsettling atmosphere.In the fourth line Wordsworth starts out by giving the word City a capital letter, which stresses just how important the city actually is. Wordsworth then goes on to tell us how like a garment it wears/The beauty of the morning. Like a garment is a simile, and in this case Wordsworth uses clothing imagery to convey to us his point. The fact that he tie in this with the beauty of the morning suggests to us that this beauty fits well with the city.The ending of the fifth line flows into the sixth line and tells of a silent beauty of all of the man make things found in a city. A complete contrast to this, are the two references made by Blake of Mans creations telling us of blackning churches and blood-stained Palaces. A disturbing and unpleasant contrast to the silent beauty implied by Wordsworth. The next line tells of how these buildings merge seamlessly with nature Open unto the fields, and to the sky As this links directly with the previous line of the silent beauty of the citys buildings, Wordsworth is connecting man and Nature the city is at one with Natures wanders, at one with God. Blake makes no reference linking both man and Nature, in fact we are given but one reference to nature and that is of the chartered Thames, overdue to the fact of this we can only infer that Blake is trying communicate to us in fact the great over industrialised hell London truly is, and just how much Nature has been destroyed in order to create this city. Wordsworth ends this section by telling us in line eight of the injection as All bright and glittering in the smokeless air. conveying to us Wordsworths thoughts that London is very clean, very sparkling, beauteous and new. .In lines nine and ten Wordsworth makes another emphatic statement, literally exclaiming that at no other time has the sun, not even since creation, made the landscape more beauteous than currently in London. Neer saw I, never felt, a calm so deep shows of Wordsworths great surprise of just how beautiful London is. He cannot believe what hes seeing and so is very moved. This again differentiates with Blake s views on London.He tells of a common fear sensed within all people he met, that they are ill at ease and afraid to go freely around this great city. Which can only mean that London may not have been this great and calm city described by Wordsworth. The last lines in the poem are descriptive of the landscape and line twelve sees Wordsworth expressing the freedom felt by Nature The river glideth at his own sweet will. This contrasts greatly with the limits and restraints conveyed to us through the description of the Thames as being chartered. Suggesting to us the restraints put upon Nature, immobilising it from flourishing due to mans greed for industry and money.Wordsworth ends his poem exclaiming that it is so quiet and tranquil that even the houses seem asleep. The last line of the poem sets up London as being the heart of Great Britain, London is the thing which enables Great Britain to work correctly And all that mighty heart is lying still. We really sense Wordsworths surprise at finding this demand life force so still and at rest. This is the complete opposite to Blakes bustling, overcrowded and disease ridden city. The nights are filled with young harlots utter at screaming babies, while theyre out trying to earn a bit of money from sell in themselves for sex while. And all the time aiding to the destruction of society due to the spreading of disease.On the whole, undoubtedly my favourite poem is William Blakes London. I feel Blakes poem far surpasses Wordsworths as Blake offers to us a more realistic and altogether poignant atmosphere to Wordsworths happy and perfect city. I feel that his use of language and style of writing expresses well the perception of London during the course of industrialisation as being an overpopulated and disease ridden hell.