Inhumanity In William Blake's London

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William Blake in his poem "London", expresses a negative image of society in relation to the extent of inhumanity given by the people in power, those higher in the social-class hierarchy. Blake was an English poet who lived during the period of the industrial revolution and so, witnessed the kind of effect the revolution had. To better understand the question, the state of being humane, in the context of this poem, is when the government acquires compassionate, sympathetic and generous behavior towards the citizens under their control, which it will be proven to not be the case. Further, this essay aims to shed light on the effects of industrial revolution on the streets, the children, the army, the women in society and how the language and poetic devices used by the poet created vivid, complex images of the …show more content…

The word "wander" gives the feeling that he may have been lost, this can be indicated as mentally confused or physically unaccustomed to the area, or unfamiliar with the streets, which Blake describes as being "charter'd". Streets are considered an open space, but he described it as being confined within the city limits, and the feeling that one is not able to do what comes to mind. This is expressed as the lack of freedom, even expressed on the river Thames. The repetition of the word "charter'd" helps emphasize the feeling of being watched and controlled by laws and legislations. Also, the ability for the river to only flow in one direction can be seen as a constriction and a symbol of how the occurrence of events and their consequences are irreversible. This can be linked to the reason for the expressions on the people's faces, mentioned in the next line, as it is a basic human right to be free and if the place they live in is restricted then that can make people living within feel suffocated and

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