William Blake's London and William Wordsworth's London, 1802

William Blake's London and William Wordsworth's London, 1802

The figure of the poet as it pertains to William Blake and William

Wordsworth is different according to the perception of most analysts.

Blake addresses a universal audience in a prophetic voice, taking the

role of the poet upon himself often using a mystical tone. In contrast

Wordsworth uses language specific to all and directs his writing to

ordinary people writing as an ordinary person reacting to his own

personal experiences. It is notable that these two poets who write

from such different perspectives both ably and similarly portray the

dark side of human existence ensuing from the drastic changes

attending the transformation of an agrarian economy to an industrial

one and the French Revolution in "London" and "London, 1802". Both

Blake's "London" and Wordsworth's "London, 1802" paint a picture of a

society that is in decline and in need of desperate need of rescue if

a cherished quality of life for all is to be accessible again. Blake's

"London" is a biting commentary on the state of the city as a result

of the effects of the Industrial Revolution and while Wordsworth's

"London, 1802" is more contemplative in form it too criticizes the

current state of London and England following industrialization and

the French Revolution.

My English 354 notes refer to William Blake's "London" as one of the

one of the most powerful descriptions ever written of an

industrialized town and a close examination with this in mind reveals

the statement to be very true. From the onset we understand Blake is

the "estranged" (Freedman, 3) wanderer making his way through London.

The ...

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Freedman, Carl. "London as Science Fiction: A Note on Some Images from

Johnson, Blake, Wordsworth, Dickens, and Orwell." Extrapolation (Kent

State Univ., Kent, OH) (43.3) [Fall 2020], p. 251-262. LION.

University of Calgary Lib. 02 Dec. 2004.

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Wordsworth, William. "London, 1802." ENGL 440.01 Selected Writings of

The British Romantic Period 1780-1830. Ed. Anne McWhir. Calgary: University of Calgary, 2004. p. 255.