This work is about the representation of London in William Blake's “London“ and William Wordsworth's “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802”. The reason for choosing these poems is the contradictoriness at first glance but at second view opens a new perspective, for the two poems complete each other to a general and detailed overview of London and its two different sights. It should display how both poets see London through different perspectives, sum up and compare these differences. One question which could arise while reading the poems could be which of the representations is more realistic for the time. Furthermore it should give an answer to the question, what the authors intended by writing the poems and discuss if there are different intentions. The analysis of the poems focuses mainly on the representation of London. The results will be compared and the questions, which were brought up in this introduction will be answered.
1. Introduction
2. The representation of London in William Blake's "London"
3. The representation of London in “Composed upon Westminster Bridge September 3, 1802”
4. Comparison of the representation of London in both poems
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
7. Appendix
- Damon, Samual Foster. 1988 [1973]. A Blake dictionary. The ideas and symbols of William Blake. Hannover [etal.]: Univ. Pr. of New England.
- Stillinger, Jack & Lynch, Deidre, Shauna. "The Romantic Period". In: W.W.Norton& Company, Inc. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1363 - 1884. Eightgh Edition.
- Wolfreys, Julian. 1998. Writing London. The Trace of the Urban Text from Blake to Dickens. Houndmills [etal.]: PALGRAVE.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE REPRESENTATION OF LONDON IN WILLIAM BLAKE'S "LONDON"
3. THE REPRESENTATION OF LONDON IN “COMPOSED UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE SEPTEMBER 3, 1802”
4. COMPARISON OF THE REPRESENTATION OF LONDON IN BOTH POEMS
5. CONCLUSION
Objectives and Themes
This work examines the contrasting representations of London during the Industrial Revolution as depicted in William Blake's poem "London" and William Wordsworth's sonnet "Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802," aiming to explore how these two poets utilized different perspectives to capture the complexity of the city.
- Analysis of industrialization's impact on urban society in Blake's poetry.
- Exploration of the "sublime" and romantic perception in Wordsworth's sonnet.
- Comparative study of social critique versus aesthetic glorification.
- The synthesis of contradictory urban images as a mirror of human dualism.
Excerpt from the Book
The representation of London in William Blake's "London"
William Blake was born on the 27th of November and died on the 8th of August in 1827, which made him an eye - witness of the industrialization. On the one hand he loved London but on the other hand he was very (cf. Damon 1988: 244) “depressed by its darkness, the pillars of smoke from the mills, and the degradation of its inhabitants: the beggars, the crowds of ragamuffins, the swarns of prostitutes.”(Damon 1988: 244) . The atmosphere of this poem can be describes as very sad, depressive, critical but most of all very angry. The speaker depicts the metropolis as dirty “blackening”(v. 10), blaming the industrialization: “with the factories of the cities casting a pall smoke over vast areas of cheaply built houses and slum tenements” (Stillinger & Lynch: 1366). The effects of industrialization seem to spread over the city like cancer, turning it into a hellish place.
The people of the working class are characterized as frightened and weak: “in every infant's cry of fear” (v. 6) “marks of weakness” (v. 4). The society is clearly divided in two: “the two classes of capital and labor, the rich and the poor” (Stillinger & Lynch: 1366). On the one side are the “chimney sweepers”, the “hapless soldiers” and the “harlots” and on the other side is the clergy and the nobility, which are represented by “palace walls” (v.12) and “blackening church” (v.12). The church is responsible for the great misery, which is shown by mentioning the crippled soldiers whose blood runs "down palace walls" (v. 12) and the children workers, who were forced to clean the chimneys and often were hurt or died while doing it. Blake critizices the church for neglecting to help the helpless. His most striking instrument to emphasize the desperate position of the inhabitants of London is the repetition of “every”.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: This chapter outlines the scope of the study, introducing the two poems and the central research questions regarding the realistic representation of London and the authors' underlying intentions.
2. THE REPRESENTATION OF LONDON IN WILLIAM BLAKE'S "LONDON": This chapter analyzes Blake’s critical perspective on the industrial metropolis, focusing on themes of social degradation, the failure of the church, and the psychological burden of the working class.
3. THE REPRESENTATION OF LONDON IN “COMPOSED UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE SEPTEMBER 3, 1802”: This chapter examines Wordsworth’s romanticized and aesthetic view of London, exploring how the sonnet form and the early morning setting create a sense of sublime beauty.
4. COMPARISON OF THE REPRESENTATION OF LONDON IN BOTH POEMS: This chapter juxtaposes the two poets' viewpoints, arguing that their contrasting perspectives offer a more comprehensive understanding of the complex reality of 19th-century London.
5. CONCLUSION: This chapter synthesizes the findings, suggesting that the poems represent the dualism of the human experience—the physical world of struggle and the spiritual or aesthetic ideal—as two sides of the same coin.
Keywords
William Blake, William Wordsworth, London, Industrialization, Romanticism, Poetry, Social Criticism, Sublime, Westminster Bridge, Urban Representation, Poverty, Church, Dualism, Aesthetics, Comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic work?
The work investigates the divergent portrayals of London during the Industrial Revolution as presented in the poetry of William Blake and William Wordsworth.
What are the core themes addressed in the analysis?
The central themes include the societal impact of industrialization, the contrast between social misery and aesthetic beauty, and the different rhetorical approaches used by Romantic poets to depict urban life.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks how these two distinct poems represent London and whether one representation is inherently more realistic than the other for that historical period.
Which scientific method is applied?
The author employs a comparative literary analysis, examining stylistic devices, themes, and historical context to contrast the two poems.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body consists of individual analyses of Blake's political/social critique and Wordsworth's sublime/emotional depiction, followed by a comparative synthesis.
Which keywords best characterize this study?
The study is best described by terms like Industrialization, Romanticism, Social Criticism, and Urban Representation.
How does Blake's use of the word "every" contribute to the poem's meaning?
The repetition of "every" serves to underscore the pervasive nature of suffering and the "mind-forged manacles" that entrap the various social classes in London.
Why does Wordsworth describe the city as "silent" and "asleep"?
Wordsworth captures a unique, fleeting moment at dawn before the industrial activity begins, allowing him to perceive the city's architectural beauty undisturbed by the typical chaos of the era.
- Quote paper
- Annika Bräuer (Author), 2008, The Representation of London in William Blake's “London“ and William Wordsworth's “Composed upon Westminster Bridge”, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/162790
