Critical Analysis Of Symbolism, Diction, And Syntax In London

All Aboard the Marriage Hearse: A New Critical Analysis of Symbolism, Diction, and Syntax in London by William Blake The major cities of the world are typically thought of as hubs of business, power, and success; they summon idealistic, romanticized images of grandeur and lavish living. However, very often the reality of city life is much grimmer and struggle-filled than these facades reveal. This can be an elitist situation, with the people of the city facing hardships such as poverty, oppression, and unhappiness while the “higher ups” are live in ignorant bliss or blatant neglect. In William Blake’s poem “London”, the speaker explores and illustrates this idea through the use of strong symbolism, negative diction, and purposeful syntax to

While syntax is not equally as significant in every poem, it plays a large role in “London” because it puts emphasis on the words that are most important to the speaker’s intended message. The poem follows an alternate rhyme scheme that makes use of the words with the strongest connotations. The third stanza reads, “How the Chimney-sweepers cry / Every blackning Church appalls / And the hapless Soldiers sigh / Runs in blood down Palace walls…” In this stanza, the words that are placed at the end of each line to be rhymed are “cry/sigh” and “appalls/walls.” This sentence structure puts emphasis on these words because they are not only at the end of each line but also the critical words in the rhyme scheme. These are the words that hang with the reader; after reading this portion of the poem, they will remember the “cries” and “sighs” of the people of London more than any other details of the stanza. The speaker in William Blake’s “London” experiences firsthand the painful hardships that plague the city of London and conveys this message to readers through the use of symbols, diction, and syntax. He creates a gloomy mood throughout the poem and uses rich language that effectively shows the suffering of all aspects of the city, from the people to the buildings to the monarchy. This poem dismisses any ideas of grandeur that readers may have previously imagined for London and certainly turns the city into a destination that no reader would ever wish to