Contrasting Views of the City of London Presented in William Wordsworth's Poem, Composed Upon Westminster Bridge and William Blake's Poem, London

The two texts are both different forms of poetry, composed in the latter half of the nineteenth century with the city of London at the heart of each piece. However in terms of style and perspective, they differ greatly from each other. The first piece, a sonnet composed by William Wordsworth, one of the most famous writers of the eighteenth century, conveys a sense of celebration for all the triumphs and beauty of London whereas the second piece by William Blake uses his writing to provoke the reader by telling of London’s corruption and plight, the two pieces could not differ more.

The first piece, entitled Composed upon Westminster Bridge by William Wordsworth, takes the form of a sonnet, which poets have used throughout the ages to display their dexterity and skill, which Wordsworth uses as a vehicle to convey to the reader his sense of love and celebration for the city of London. As Wordsworth was a Lakeland poet, traces of his original subject matter can be found in the piece such as in the line ‘Open unto the fields, and to the sky’ which is followed by on the proceeding alternate line,

‘Never did sun more beautifully steep In his first splendour, valley, rock or hill’,

this gives an example of enjambment to add emphasis to

‘In his first splendour’,

the line also gives an example of Wordsworth deploying powerful natural imagery to give reference to London’s beauty which can be compared to many natural wonders. In the ensuing line ‘never did the sun more beautifully steep In his first splendour, ‘Wordsworth personifies the sun and gives reference to creationism by the words ‘first splendour’ which in Wordsworth’s time of writing, in which biblical knowledge was commonplace, would have invoked the audiences’ min...

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...he reader deeper into the heart of the piece such as in the lines, ‘the chimney-sweepers cry’ and, ‘the soldier’s sigh’, this gives allows the reader to become less distanced from the poem.

Blake also describes the voices of people ‘the youthful harlot’s curse’ and ‘the new-born infant’s tear’, this tells us how Blake can hear in the voices the unattractive and vile traits of that character.

The pounding rhythm of the piece gives a sense of the universality of the problems suffered by the people of London.

The two poems differ greatly as each takes a completely different perspective, but the two link with each other as Wordsworth’s piece describes the wealth, power and beauty of London whereas Blake’s poem describes the people who never shared in the triumphs and victories of London. The two poems differ greatly both physically and perceptively.