This work is about the representation of London in William Blake's “London“ and William Wordsworth's “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802”. The reason for choosing these poems is the contradictoriness at first glance but at second view opens a new perspective, for the two poems complete each other to a general and detailed overview of London and its two different sights. It should display how both poets see London through different perspectives, sum up and compare these differences. One question which could arise while reading the poems could be which of the representations is more realistic for the time. Furthermore it should give an answer to the question, what the authors intended by writing the poems and discuss if there are different intentions. The analysis of the poems focuses mainly on the representation of London. The results will be compared and the questions, which were brought up in this introduction will be answered.
1. Introduction
2. The representation of London in William Blake's "London"
3. The representation of London in “Composed upon Westminster Bridge September 3, 1802”
4. Comparison of the representation of London in both poems
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
7. Appendix
- Damon, Samual Foster. 1988 [1973]. A Blake dictionary. The ideas and symbols of William Blake. Hannover [etal.]: Univ. Pr. of New England.
- Stillinger, Jack & Lynch, Deidre, Shauna. "The Romantic Period". In: W.W.Norton& Company, Inc. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1363 - 1884. Eightgh Edition.
- Wolfreys, Julian. 1998. Writing London. The Trace of the Urban Text from Blake to Dickens. Houndmills [etal.]: PALGRAVE.
At a glance
- Grade: 2.0 (1.0 is the best grade)
- Compares London in poems by William Blake and William Wordsworth
- Examines the Petrarchan sonnet form and rhyme scheme in Wordsworth's poem
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE REPRESENTATION OF LONDON IN WILLIAM BLAKE'S "LONDON"
3. THE REPRESENTATION OF LONDON IN “COMPOSED UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE SEPTEMBER 3, 1802”
4. COMPARISON OF THE REPRESENTATION OF LONDON IN BOTH POEMS
5. CONCLUSION
Objectives and Themes
This work examines how William Blake and William Wordsworth represent London in their respective poems. It compares their perspectives and asks how realistic the representations are for their time and what the poets may have intended.
- London during industrialization
- Social suffering and institutional criticism in Blake's poem
- Beauty, stillness and poetic form in Wordsworth's sonnet
- Contrasting perspectives and possible poetic intentions
- The relationship between the poems' representations of the city
Excerpt from the Book
3. The representation of London in “Composed upon Westminster Bridge September 3, 1802”
William Wordsworth was born on the 7th of April in 1770 and died on the 23rd of April in 1850. Like Blake, he lived during the industrialization in England and was one of the major romantic poets. The first difference one might notice is the form of the poems. While William Blake's poem "London" consists of four stanzas which contain a cross rhyme throughout the whole work, William Wordsworth's "Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802" has the form of a Petrarchan sonnet. This kind of sonnet consists of an octave and a sestet. The octave has a strict rhyme scheme (abbaabba) which is fulfilled in Wordsworth's poem. The following sestet is not restricted to a specific rhyme scheme, but what is important is that there is a change of rhyme after the first eight lines. The sestet in this poem is cdcdcd and therefore a cross rhyme. The octave of “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802” describes London as “silent, bare” (v. 5) and very beautiful at the beginning of the day. While reading the poem, the reader may notice Wordsworth's attitude towards the metropolis as very positive “Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty” (v. 2f). His poem is concerned with the creative process, the “spontaneous overflow of feelings” (Stillinger & Lynch: 1372) and in this poem, the lyrical I expresses, what the author felt, when he was standing on the Westminster Bridge. Both are overwhelmed by the wonderful sight of London in the morning “Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!” (v. 11). 'Both' is used because the lyrical “I is [...]one who shares recognizable traits with the poet” (Stillinger & Lynch: 1371) in the romanticism. The use of enjambements (v. 2f; 4f; 6f; 9f) stresses the sponteneaous overflow of ideas and puts it into focus. This rhetorical device liquifises the reading of the poem, because it rather feels like prose than poetry. The poet glorifies London: “All bright and glittering in smokeless air” (v. 8). With the end of the octave, there is also a thematic change. This break is called volta.
Chapter Summaries
1. INTRODUCTION: The introduction presents the two poems and sets out the questions guiding their comparison.
2. THE REPRESENTATION OF LONDON IN WILLIAM BLAKE'S "LONDON": This chapter examines Blake's portrayal of social suffering, industrialization and institutional neglect, as well as his use of repetition and sound.
3. THE REPRESENTATION OF LONDON IN “COMPOSED UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE SEPTEMBER 3, 1802”: This chapter discusses Wordsworth's sonnet form and his depiction of the city in the early morning.
4. COMPARISON OF THE REPRESENTATION OF LONDON IN BOTH POEMS: The comparison considers the poets' contrasting perspectives and explores possible intentions behind their representations.
5. CONCLUSION: The conclusion brings the two portraits together and reflects on their contrasting emphases.
Keywords
William Blake, William Wordsworth, London, Romantic poetry, industrialization, urban representation, comparative literary analysis, Petrarchan sonnet, social criticism, poetic perspective, imagery, Westminster Bridge
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this work about?
It compares representations of London in poems by William Blake and William Wordsworth.
What are the central themes?
The work considers industrialization, social suffering, urban beauty, poetic perspective and the poets' possible intentions.
What is the primary research question?
The work asks how the poets portray London differently, how realistic their representations are for their time and what they may have intended.
What method does the author use?
The author analyzes each poem's representation of London and then compares the two readings, drawing on literary scholarship.
What does the main discussion cover?
It examines Blake's imagery and social criticism, Wordsworth's sonnet form and depiction of the city, and the differences between their perspectives.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Romantic poetry, London, industrialization, urban representation, social criticism and comparative literary analysis.
How does the work examine the form of Wordsworth's poem?
It identifies the poem as a Petrarchan sonnet and discusses its octave, sestet, rhyme scheme and thematic turn.
What features of Blake's poem receive particular attention?
The analysis considers the repetition of “every,” the image of “mind – forged manacles” and the emphasis on hearing.
- Quote paper
- Annika Bräuer (Author), 2008, The Representation of London in William Blake's “London“ and William Wordsworth's “Composed upon Westminster Bridge”, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/162790
