I wander thro' each
charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd
Thames
does flow,
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.
In every cry of every man,
In every Infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear.
How the Chimney-sweeper's cry
Every black'ning Church appals;
And the hapless Soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls.
But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlot's curse
Blasts the new-born infant's tear,
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.
“London” by William Blake is one example of Blake's disapproval of changes that occurred in his lifetime. In his poem "London," from his work Songs of Experience, Blake describes the woes of the Industrial Revolution and the breaking of the common man's ties to the land, which he has brought upon himself. He describes the Thames River and the city streets as "chartered," or controlled by commercial interests; he refers to "mind-forged manacles"; he relates that every man's face contains "Marks of weakness, marks of woe"; and he discusses the "every cry of every Man" and "every Infant's cry of fear." He connects marriage and death by referring to a "marriage hearse" and describes it as "blighted with plague." He also talks about "the hapless Soldier's sigh" and the "youthful Harlot's curse" and describes "blackening Churches" and palaces running with blood. The poem has a simple rhyme scheme of: ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GHGH, as each of the four stanzas in the poem rhyme within themselves.
"London,” like many of Blake's other works dealing with a similar theme, describes living in a society where the cost of living compared with income is steadily increasing, where new diseases are becoming increasingly common, and where the public is becoming ever more disillusioned about the reliability and trustworthiness of politicians. His works illustrate a nation that, due to the aforementioned problems, the rise of violent crime, and other considerations, is rapidly desensitizing itself to the "marks of weakness, marks of woe" and is becoming accustomed to seeing on the solemn and defeated faces of passers-by on the street.
In the first stanza, the narrator refers the streets of the city and the Thames River as being “chartered.” The word charter has several important meanings. Charter can refer to a grant or guarantee of rights, franchises, or privileges from the sovereign power of a state or country; it can also mean a lease or contract. The word charter can also allude to a travel arrangement in which transportation, frequently a ship or boat is hired by and for a specific group of people. The narrator is wandering aimlessly through the city, which in his mind has changed into a world that is controlled by the interests of business and industry, and all around him he sees the negative effects the industrial revolution has had on society. “Marks of weakness, marks of woe,” illustrates how numerous people have suffered a great deal of hardship and have become disillusioned with the once thought improvements that would come about from the industrial revolution, and have had their hopes and dreams shattered. The city itself is lifeless, there is little or no activity or enjoyment in life; and has become a dreary place to live in. The word chartered also refers to the restriction of authority and recognition of individual liberties, but also means the acceptance of monopolies, which in effect takes away the rights of others. As the streets are owned by business and are no longer public properties for all, and ownership by the business monopolies has led to poverty for the rest of the population.
In the second stanza, he describes the common populations’ discontent with life and society in general. The word “ban” means to prohibit or restrict. The narrator believes people have brought this upon themselves as he calls it “mind-forged manacles,” which refer to people becoming imprisoned within themselves. While “ban” means to prohibit or restrict, “bann” is a public announcement of a proposed marriage. It is ironic that instead of allowing love, there are restrictions and limits placed upon it.
In the third stanza of “London,” Blake describes the “Blackening Church” as uncaring about poor people, such as the chimney-sweeper, it ignores his cries for help. He is appalled both by the indifference the Church shows towards the common man, and in the living conditions that the poor must endure because of the lack of aid from the Church. While the Church is unsympathetic towards the struggles and anguish of the common man, the government, or monarchy, is ever more heartless and unconcerned towards the lives of individual soldiers which it has sent off to war. The government believes that the solider, although proving to be loyal to his country by defending it with his life, is insignificant and easily replaceable if lost.
The fourth stanza begins by describing a prostitute, and unwed mother, who is unable to rejoice in her child’s birth. It tells of a married couple looking down upon her for what she does in order to make a living. This is ironic because the business of prostitution is caused in part by the restrictions placed upon the married man. It is also ironic because the married man is what has created the need for, and use of prostitutes. The harlot curses the respectable and polite society because it is they who have created the demand for her, and then look down upon what she does. “Blights with plagues” implies that perhaps she also infects them with some sort of venereal disease, conceivably as a type of vengeance upon those who shun her. The final words of the poem, “Marriage hearse” compares marriage to death. The narrator sees marriage as another type of restriction placed upon man by society, marriage is a sort of death in man’s ability to be free to do as he wishes.
“London”
describes a world during and after the industrial revolution in which there have
been many ill-fated side effects stemming from the rise of cities and of
industry, as people move away from the traditional farming families and their
beliefs. People no longer treat each other with kindness or as equals, instead
they exploit each other for personal gain, selfish and unfeeling towards the
consequences of their actions for other people. Also, new and potentially
deadly diseases are becoming a major problem in the cities, and other illegal
activities such as prostitution and crime in general are on the rise.
