Critical Appreciation of the Poem London

Answer

 Critical Appreciation of the Peom London.

William Blake’s (1757-1827) “London” critiques the state of society in the city of London during the Industrial Revolution. Written in 1794 as part of his “Songs of Experience,” the poem describes the suffering and oppression that the people of London experience in their daily lives. Blake uses simple language and vivid imagery to convey his deep concern for the poor and the exploitation they face. Through the speaker’s walk through the streets of London, the poem paints a bleak picture of a city consumed by misery, corruption, and social injustice.

Central Idea: The poem begins with Blake walking through the streets of London. He tells us the streets and even the river Thames are “charter’d”— 

“Where the charter’d Thames does flow.”

It means that the river Thames is owned and controlled by the rich or the government. This shows that nothing in the city is free—even nature is trapped by human greed. Blake meets people from all walks of life. He notices children are forced to work as chimney sweepers, soldiers are forced to die in wars, and young women are forced into prostitution. Each person’s face shows pain and suffering. Blake writes:

“And mark in every face I meet

Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”

Blake does not just blame individuals for their pain. He points to powerful institutions like the Church, the monarchy, and the government. The Church, which should help the poor, is “blackning”—because it ignores the suffering around it. The king’s palace is stained by the blood of soldiers dying in wars. Even marriage—which should be about love—is ruined.

Images and Metaphors: At the end of the poem, we see a haunting image of a “marriage hearse”—a carriage for a dead body.

“How the youthful Harlots curse…

And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse”

Here, Blake suggests that society’s problems—like disease from