Comparing the Poets' Use of Language To Present Their View of London in Composed Upon Westminster Bridge by Wordsworth and London by Blake London was, is and undoubtedly always will be, a city of enormous interest and controversy, especially for those employed in the field of writing. The two poems, 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge', 1802, by William Wordsworth and 'London', 1794, by William Blake, demonstrate this through their opposing views. The intention of both William Blake and William Wordsworth was to portray their own deeply felt views of London in their poems. They exhibit contrasting perceptions of the city based upon their conflicting observations, and, indeed, their very different literary aims. Blake depicts a gloomy perspective in his poem, 'London', whereas Wordsworth's tone is bright and buoyant and he paints an optimistic picture of the city in his work, 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge'. Blake chooses to describe London at night, 'midnight streets', so that he can reinforce the theme of London's murkiness - representing a dark and dismal city, full of misery. Wordsworth, on the other hand, describes London in the morning, 'The beauty of the morning', and expresses his admiration for its architecture with, 'towers, domes, theatres and temples lie ... All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.' He writes that London is incomparable, indeed, he describes London with the intensity of emotions directed towards one beloved, which contrasts with Blake's bleak portrayal of the very same metropolis. The two poems use similar literary devices, but to very different effect, to describe their thoughts about... ... middle of paper ... ...oems, one gathers a sense of the different ways the two poets have manipulated language to fit their theme and view. The two starkly contrasting poems use vocabulary, structure and imagery to stir opposite emotions in the reader, but of the same city. Perhaps these differing views stem from the poets' own backgrounds: Wordsworth was brought up in a middleclass home in Cumbria, where he attended a grammar school. The Lake District was no doubt the inspiration for many of his poems telling of the beauty of nature. Blake, however, was born and lived in London, and eked out a living as an engraver. He was surrounded by industry, constrained by the nature of human beings and the quality of institutional organisation. The reader senses these different lifestyles when reading the two poems and observing their use of language.
In line 17 the word “hearse” is used as a car to take the bride to the
The poem "London" by William Blake paints a frightening, dark picture of the eighteenth century London, a picture of war, poverty and pain. Written in the historical context of the English crusade against France in 1793, William Blake cries out with vivid analogies and images against the repressive and hypocritical English society. He accuses the government, the clergy and the crown of failing their mandate to serve people. Blake confronts the reader in an apocalyptic picture with the devastating consequences of diseasing the creative capabilities of a society.
Wordsworth, William. Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 6th ed. Vol. 2. M. H. Abrams Gen. ed. New York, London: Norton. 2 vols. 1993.
How does William Blake convey his anger in the poem London? The poem 'London' by William Blake, reflects his feelings upon the society that he was living in, and how desperately it needed help. Blake thought that all of the poverty and misfortune that was happening on the streets were caused by the political oppression in London. The.
can see the limits set to the people by themselves in the mind and the
poem is about only a small snapshot of the city, when it is very quiet
?London? is a poem of serious social satire directed against social institutions. According to Blake author Michael Phillips ?it is a poem whose moral realism is so severe that it is raised to the intensity of apocalyptic vision.? Blake becomes more specific in his descriptions of the prevalent evil and moral decay of society as the poem progresses. Blake?s informative nature is clearly evident in ?London? as he ?points the finger? and exposes powerful institutions.
The poems ‘lines composed on Westminster Bridge’ and ‘London’ are created by William Wordsworth and William Blake respectively. Wordsworth’s work originated in the eighteenth century and he himself lived in the countryside, and rarely visited large cities such as London. This is reflected on his poem, making it personal to his experience in London, however William Blake on the other hand had a vast knowledge of London and was actually a London poet, which allowed him to express his views of London from a Londoner’s point of view. I therefore will be examining comparisons in both poems, as well as their contrasting views of London and the poetic devices used to express their opinions.
In "London", William Blake brings to light a city overrun by poverty and hardship. Blake discards the common, glorifying view of London and replaces it with his idea of truth. London is nothing more but a city strapped by harsh economic times where Royalty and other venues of power have allowed morality and goodness to deteriorate so that suffering and poverty are all that exist. It is with the use of three distinct metaphors; "mind-forg'd manacles", "blackning Church", and "Marriage hearse", that Blake conveys the idea of a city that suffers from physical and psychological imprisonment, social oppression, and an unraveling moral society.
Wordsworth's Poetry A lot of literature has been written about motherhood. Wordsworth is a well known English poet who mentions motherhood and female strength in several of his poems, including the Mad Mother, The Thorn, and The Complaint of a Forsaken Indian Woman. This leads some critics to assume that these poems reflect Wordsworth's view of females. Wordsworth portrays women as dependent on motherhood for happiness, yet he also emphasizes female strength.
The Romantic period brought a new outlook on how people viewed the world. The fight for individual rights was a major cause for the sudden change. There were too many rules that held people back from being able to express themselves. Once they began to broaden their ideas and practice new motives whether it was political, or emotional, it brought freedom of expression. Many poets took the chance to enlighten their readers on their works. They would write in order to paint a picture and gave more detailed descriptions of the conscious mind. For these poets it brought many people to enjoy their freedom of speech and encouraged a new way of thinking.
William Blake uses repetition, rhyming and imagery in his poem to help promote the idea that London, England is not the city that people dream that it is, the city itself can be a
The Daffodils and Upon Westminster Bridge Both " The Daffodils" and " Upon Westminster Bridge" were written around the turn of the 19th century in Georgian times to illustrate William Wordsworth's view of the Natural World. " Upon Westminster Bridge" illustrates the poet's view on the city of London. Wordsworth is able to appreciate and see the magnificence in a normal bustling city. He is in awe at the scenic beauty of the morning sun, radiating from London's great architectural marvels. To give the sense of calm he uses the adjectives silent, smokeless to underline that it is early in the morning and London is beautiful because the factories are sleeping, there is no pollution and the city is not dirty.
Authors, William Wordsworth and William Blake convey different messages and themes in their poems, “The World is Too Much with Us” and “The Tyger” consecutively by using the different mechanics one needs to create poetry. Both poems are closely related since they portray different aspects of society but the message remains different. Wordsworth’s poem describes a conflict between nature and humanity, while Blake’s poem issues God’s creations of completely different creatures. In “The World is Too Much with Us,” we figure the theme to be exactly what the title suggests: Humans are so self-absorbed with other things such as materialism that there’s no time left for anything else. In “The Tyger” the theme revolves around the question of what the Creator (God) of this creature seems to be like and the nature of good vs. evil. Both poems arise with some problem or question which makes the reader attentive and think logically about the society.
"The Poetry of William Wordsworth." SIRS Renaissance 20 May 2004: n.p. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 06 February 2010.