How does the poem London by William Blake present the feeling of London with further reference to The Tyger and Holy Thursday
From the very first line of stanza one William Blake gives the impression that the woe of London is planned out,” I wander thro’ each charter’d street, Near where the charter'd Thames does flow.” This parallel between the flow of the river and wandering around the streets contrasts nature and man. This is interesting as man had no direct power toward where the river could flow, however he had all the power in giving the river meaning and laying it out on paper. This is metaphorically imprisoning the river, yet it has no effect on where it does flow. All the while the river has an effect on where the poem takes us as W.B is near it as he is wandering through London. Therefore whilst man has tried to conquer the river within the mind of society, the river still leads society.
"Marks of weakness, marks of Woe"
"The mind-forg'd manacles I hear."
"Every black'ning Church appalls;"
"And the hapless Solier's sigh
Runs in blood down palace walls."
"Blasts the new born Infant's tear,
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.
The Tyger -
"What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?"
"Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?"
"What hand dare sieze the fire?"
"And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?"
"What thy hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?"
"Did he who made the Lamb make thee?"
Holly Thursday
"Till into the high dome of Paul's they like Thames waters flow."
"The hum of multitudes was there, but multitudes of lambs,
Thousands of little boys and girls raising their innocent hands."
"Beneath them sit the aged men, wise guardians of the poor.
Then cherish pity, lest you drive an angle from your door."
"The mind-forg'd manacles I hear."
"Every black'ning Church appalls;"
"And the hapless Solier's sigh
Runs in blood down palace walls."
"Blasts the new born Infant's tear,
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.
The Tyger -
"What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?"
"Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?"
"What hand dare sieze the fire?"
"And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?"
"What thy hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?"
"Did he who made the Lamb make thee?"
Holly Thursday
"Till into the high dome of Paul's they like Thames waters flow."
"The hum of multitudes was there, but multitudes of lambs,
Thousands of little boys and girls raising their innocent hands."
"Beneath them sit the aged men, wise guardians of the poor.
Then cherish pity, lest you drive an angle from your door."
No comments:
Post a Comment