Comparing the Poems City Jungle by Pie Corbett, London by William Blake and Londinium by Catatonia

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Comparing the Poems City Jungle by Pie Corbett, London by William Blake and Londinium by Catatonia

"City Jungle" by Pie Corbett, "London" by William Blake and

"Londinium" by Catatonia are poems that share the same theme: cities

and city life. They each have negative opinions of cities and similar

themes and messages, that cities are unpleasant. The poems are

however, vastly different in their style; "City Jungle" has a fun

atmosphere, whereas "Londinium" and "London" have depressing

atmospheres (especially "London").

"City jungle" is simple, direct and modern title that paradoxically

compares cities to jungles; both are over crowded, hostile places

though are opposite extremes on the spectrum of civilisation and

nature. "City Jungle" maybe a description of cities in general rather

one specific city as we are not told which city is being described.

"London" is another simple, direct and modern title (although the poem

itself is complex and old-fashioned). We know that London is the city

being described in the poem because of the title "London" and the

description of the River Thames and of Buckingham Palace.

"Londinium" is a direct title that uses the Latin translation for

London to give us a sense of history, because London is an old city.

We know that London is the city being described because of the title

"Londinium" and of the description of Euston and Paddington train

stations and of the M25.

The poem "City Jungle" is a modern, humorous poem that demonstrates

the likeness of cities to jungles by describing commonplace city

objects as jungle creatures, "Lizard cars cruse by".

"London" is a Victorian poem in which Bla...

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...rn. "City Jungle" on the other hand has no

rhyming pattern and is written in free verse, all of which are of

different length. The poem is completely irregular and haphazard,

rather like a city. "Londinium" is a song and its structure has the

qualities of one. It is written in free verse with an irregular rhythm

and rhyming patter and has a chorus that repeats itself throughout the

poem.

Although all three poems express their poets' dislike of cities, they

were written for different purposes. "City Jungle" and "Londinium" do

not confront any serious issues, unlike "London" in which William

Blake tries to make people realise how he believed that society in

Britain was degenerating. I prefer "London" to "City Jungle" and

"Londinium" because I prefer traditional style poems and it has real

purpose unlike the others.

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