London by William Blake and Upon Westminster Bridge by...

London by William Blake and Upon Westminster Bridge by William Wordsworth This essay aims to compare and contrast the differences and similarities between the two poems London and Upon Westminster Bridge. They both create powerful, contrasting images but are both similar in the use of language and exaggeration. The first poem to be commented upon is London by William Blake, written a couple of decades before the second poem written by William Wordsworth. William Blake negatively describes London and uses the first person narrative to make it seem as if it were him wandering the lonely streets of London. He creates a woeful and miserable impression of the capital city of England. I†¦show more content†¦This is another exaggeration of the feeling that the miserable people of are wandering around the streets with chains attached to them. These chains are purely imaginary on Blakes part, exaggerating his bitterness and negative opinion of London. In the third stanza, Blake criticizes the Church with the following line: Every blackening Church appalls I think he is actually criticizing the Church leaders, saying they are hypocrites for ignoring the problems faced by the people of London. He uses the word cry again which indicates the hardships that people endured. He also mentions the cry of an unhappy soldier and accuses the Palace of purposely ignoring this problem. The soldiers who risk their lives in war to protect their country feel that they have very little or even nothing worthwhile to return home to after the war. I think he could also be referring to the cries of all the people of London and the whole situation, not just the remorse felt by the soldiers. How the youthful Harlots curse, Blasts the new-born Infants tear In the last stanza of this poem, Blake refers to the young prostitute and her suffering, because the existence of prostitution suggests the society is immoral. The curse he refers to is probably a sexually transmitted disease that the prostitute could be carrying or spreading. This suggests that the city of London is oneShow MoreRelatedComparison of London by William Blake and Lines Composed upon Westminster Bridge by William Wordsworth1105 Words   |  5 PagesComparison of London by William Blake and Lines Composed upon Westminster Bridge by William Wordsworth Earth has nothing to show more fair, taken from William Wordsworths Lines composed upon Westminster Bridge, could not be more of a contrast to the way William Blake describes what he sees in his poem London. William Wordsworth and William Blake both wrote their poems within a very similar time, yet they are completely different in all aspects. Lines composed upon WestminsterRead MoreComparison Between â€Å"London† by William Blake and â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge† by William Wordsworth850 Words   |  4 PagesComparison between â€Å"London† by William Blake and â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge† by William Wordsworth The city of London has inspired many poets throughout the ages. Two of the most distinctive portrayals are William Blake’s â€Å"London† published in Songs of Experience in 1974 and â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802† by William Wordsworth. While both Blake and Wordsworth comment on the conflict between appearance and reality, Blake shows the gloomy ugliness by taking down London’sRead More Comparing Composed Upon Westminster Bridge by William Wordsworth and London by William Blake1459 Words   |  6 PagesComparison between William Blake and William Wordsworth’s Views of London William Blake grew up in the slums of London and this is shown in his poem, he wrote his poem in the slums and back alleys of London as he never had very much money. He describes London as being â€Å"charter’d†, this gives us the impression that everything has rules and boundaries in London, and that there is no mystery to be discovered. Also chartered means on a map, almost as if it is owned, by the king perhaps. The lineRead MoreA Comparison Between William Wordsworths Upon Westminster Bridge and William Blakes London1006 Words   |  5 PagesA Comparison Between William Wordsworths Upon Westminster Bridge and William Blakes London The English Romantic period spanned between 1789 and 1824. This period was not so-called until the mid 19th century when readers began to see six different poets as part of the same movement. These poets were William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Shelly and John Keats. Some aspects of Romantic poetry were; there was an increasing interest Read More Comparing William Wordsworths Composed Upon Westminster Bridge and William Blakes London1181 Words   |  5 Pagesand Contrast William Wordsworths Composed Upon Westminster Bridge and William Blakes London William Wordsworth and William Blake wrote poems about London, but they presented their views from different angles. Wordsworth sees the beauty in London and Blake sees only the ugliness. William Wordsworths Composed Upon Westminster Bridge gives a step-by-step look at the awe-inspiring beauty of a London sunrise, whereas William Blakes London shows the dreary ugliness of London life by takingRead More How London is Portrayed in Composed upon Westminster Bridge and London531 Words   |  3 PagesHow London is Portrayed in Composed upon Westminster Bridge and London William Wordsworths poem, Composed upon Westminster Bridge written in 1904 looks at the positive side of London city and it natural Beauty. Whereas William Blake wrote the poem, London in 1794, the poem is negative towards authority and politics. The theme of the two poems is the city of London and how different people preserve it. All bright and glittering in the smokeless air (line 8) is a romantic viewRead MoreComposed Upon Westminster Bridge By William Wordsworth And London1003 Words   |  5 PagesThe two poems ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’ by William Wordsworth and ‘London’ by William Blake’s both show sharp contrasting views about the city of London. Wordsworth sees the beauty in London whilst Blake only sees the ugliness. It is through these different perspectives of London that both poets present their ideas of nature, darkness and suffering. In ‘London’, Blake portrays a gloomy perspective of London, whereas in ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’ Wordsworth’s tone is bright andRead More Comparing Composed upon Westminster Bridge versus London Essay527 Words   |  3 PagesThese two poems are both written about London, one titled London is written by William Blake. The other Composed up Westminster Bridge is written by William Wordsworth. Even though these poems are written on the same setting, they are opposite sides of a coin. London shows the appearance of the city from the position of an onlooker, it shows the suffering of the common man. Westminster Bridge tackles a different view point, it portrays London as the city really is. The rich upper classesRead MoreComparing the Poets Use of Language To Present Their View of London in Composed Upon Westminster Bridge by Wordsworth and London by Blake1571 Words   |  7 PagesTheir View of London in Composed Upon Westminster Bridge by Word sworth and London by Blake London was, is and undoubtedly always will be, a city of enormous interest and controversy, especially for those employed in the field of writing. The two poems, Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, 1802, by William Wordsworth and London, 1794, by William Blake, demonstrate this through their opposing views. The intention of both William Blake and William Wordsworth was to portrayRead MoreWilliam Blake And William Wordsworth1099 Words   |  5 Pagesthose poets are William Blake and William Wordsworth. Although Blake was a contemporary of the era, he had a little in common with Wordsworth. Religion is the focus of Blake’s visionary works, which does not exist in any other Romantic poetry. William Blake uses satire in most of his work to criticize the corrupting influence of religion on imagination. For Wordsworth, nature was like a religion. He talks about his own spiritual life when he refers to nature. According to Wordsworth, being alive meant