[Becksy]

London: Urban environment - theme of RURAL VS URBAN.

written in 1794.
"marks of weakness, marks of woe" - place of fear and grief - contrasted to rural which is a place of beauty and happiness. "Mark" has two meanings - first is that it conveys the grief of the Londoners, secondly that it refers to the mark of the beast the antichrist - this fits in with the early 18th Century belief that the rich were being used by the antichrist to inflict a harsh life on the poor.

Four quatrains, ABAB, Iambic tetrameter - oppressive form - everything is controlled in the city.

Metaphor - creates sense of repression - "the mind-forged manacles I hear" - minds of people in London have been forged by society.

Repetition of "cry" three times, compare to Infant Joy which uses the word "joy" often.

"charter'd" repeated twice - everything owned by the powerful rich.

Metaphor used to attack Church - "Every Blackning Church appalls" - Church indirectly responsible- black with soot of chimney sweepers. appalling with fear (go pale with fear) - IRONIC.

Metaphor, "the hapless Soldier's sign runs in blodd down palace walls" - enjambment" - creates a sense of choas. Attacks monarcy - shortle before the writing of this poem was the French Revolution.

In first person.

sOUND IMAGERY "how the youthful harlot's curse/Blasts the new born infants tear". Curse = cursing because having a baby means that she can no longer works, and a venereal disease probably caught off married men.

Overall - Innocence destroyed by society.