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How do “London” by William Blake and “The Prelude” by William Wordsworth
portray contrasting ideas about the power of individual experiences?
● In “London” the narrator feels a sense of hopelessness towards the people he
meets along his travels, stating that as he “wanders” through the city, he sees
“marks of weakness, marks of woe” on “every face” he meets
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The consonant “w”
sounds are also repeated, giving the reader a sense of the narrator’s bleak
and sad life
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This metaphorical feminisation of nature makes it seem gentle and
calm, whilst “elfin” gives the sense that this experience is like a fairytale for
the narrator
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● However, for the narrator of “London” there is no volta (turning point) in his
life
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Life continues, whilst the
“mind-forged manacles” faced by ordinary citizens appears to reinforce the
hopelessness, which is a running theme throughout the novel
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The phrase “mind-forged” however could suggest that
these issues are actually made up, with Blake perhaps commenting on our
ability to always feel sorry for ourselves
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This very stilted and jarring sentence contrasts the earlier
language of beauty and lyrical structure (which reflects Wordsworth’s position
as a Romantic poet)
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This also shows how his
earlier confidence has been lost, and is instead replaced with the metaphor of
a great beast before him
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● The narrator in “London” uses bleak metaphors to portray his anger at all
forms of power, particularly in the line: “Every black’ning church” which could
hint at widespread corruption throughout our society
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Additionally, significant events
like marriages and funerals often happen at churches, and the dirty or
tarnished image of this whole institution suggests that their reputation has
been ruined through corruption
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Overall, this makes the
narrator seem angry and the poem more of a social commentary on the
problems facing society at the time
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This unsettling image helps us to empathise with the arrogant youth
who appears to have matured by the end of the poem
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This
shows how much the narrator has changed, therefore portraying his
experience as very powerful and moving
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He writes of “the youthful harlot’s curse”
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The last line also provides an insight into the narrator’s mind with
“blights with plagues the marriage hearse”
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Overall, both narrators go through changes, however it is clear that the narrator of
“The Prelude” experiences the most profound change in his sense of self
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