The sonnet "London, 1802" by William Wordsworth, first published in 1807 (Wordsworth 64), deals with the speaker's criticism of the political, religious and socioeconomic state of England at the beginning of the 19th century which is juxtaposed by an idealization of the English poet John Milton as a writer and a member of English society in the 17th century. "London 1802" is part of a group of poems that are generally referred to as Wordsworth's "Sonnets on Independence and Liberty". Like other sonnets of this group it illustrates "Wordsworth's advance from the poet of rapturous impulse to the poet of duty and fortitude" and thus, his turn towards a reflection on political and socioeconomic issues of his contemporary time in his poetry (130). In this regard Wordsworth uses form and content in "London, 1802" to express this criticism and to call for change in the English society of his time.
In terms of form, the poem can be regarded as a Petrarchan sonnet. As such, the form of "London, 1802" already establishes an intertextual reference to John Milton who also often uses the pattern of the Petrarchan sonnet in his poems like in "On his Blindness". Sarker argues that in particular Wordsworth's sonnets reflect his literary inspiration by John Milton's style as a writer. Wordsworth's sonnet contains 14 lines and is subdivided into an octave, which is consisting of two quatrains (l. 1-4; l. 5-8), and a sestet (l. 9-14). The rhyme scheme of the poem also matches the form of the Petrarchan sonnet. While the two quatrains have an embracing rhyme (a b b a; a b b a) and corresponding cadenzas (female, male, male, female; female, male, male, female) the sestet rhymes "c d d e c e" and each of the lines ends with a male cadenza. The rhymes and the cadenzas structure the poem and underline its thematic subdivision into two different sense units: a negative description of contemporary England in the first (l. 1-8) and the idealization of John Milton as a fictive potential liberator of England in the second sense unit (l. 9-14).
Table of Contents
1. Analysis of William Wordsworth's "London, 1802"
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper provides a detailed literary analysis of William Wordsworth’s sonnet "London, 1802," exploring how the poet utilizes form and content to criticize the socio-political state of England at the beginning of the 19th century while idealizing the legacy of John Milton.
- Analysis of the Petrarchan sonnet structure and its thematic significance.
- Examination of stylistic devices such as personification, metonymy, and meter.
- Investigation of the intertextual relationship between Wordsworth and Milton.
- Discussion of Romantic period themes, including social criticism and the idealization of the past.
- Exploration of how the speaker uses the poem to demand reform in contemporary English society.
Excerpt from the Book
Analysis of William Wordsworth's "London, 1802"
The sonnet "London, 1802" by William Wordsworth, first published in 1807 (Wordsworth 64), deals with the speaker's criticism of the political, religious and socioeconomic state of England at the beginning of the 19th century which is juxtaposed by an idealization of the English poet John Milton as a writer and a member of English society in the 17th century. "London 1802" is part of a group of poems that are generally referred to as Wordsworth's "Sonnets on Independence and Liberty" (Sarker 245). Like other sonnets of this group it illustrates "Wordsworth's advance from the poet of rapturous impulse to the poet of duty and fortitude" and thus, his turn towards a reflection on political and socioeconomic issues of his contemporary time in his poetry (130). In this regard Wordsworth uses form and content in "London, 1802" to express this criticism and to call for change in the English society of his time.
In terms of form, the poem can be regarded as a Petrarchan sonnet. As such, the form of "London, 1802" already establishes an intertextual reference to John Milton who also often uses the pattern of the Petrarchan sonnet in his poems like in "On his Blindness". Sarker argues that in particular Wordsworth's sonnets reflect his literary inspiration by John Milton's style as a writer (Sarker 244f). Wordsworth's sonnet contains 14 lines and is subdivided into an octave, which is consisting of two quatrains (l. 1-4; l. 5-8), and a sestet (l. 9-14).
Summary of Chapters
Analysis of William Wordsworth's "London, 1802": This section provides a comprehensive examination of the poem, focusing on its structural elements, use of meter, and the thematic juxtaposition of contemporary English corruption with the idealized figure of John Milton.
Keywords
William Wordsworth, London 1802, John Milton, Sonnet, Romanticism, Social Criticism, Petrarchan Sonnet, Industrialization, Literature, England, Metaphor, Poetic Form, Poetry, Cultural History, Verse
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this analysis?
The paper provides a critical analysis of William Wordsworth's 1807 sonnet "London, 1802," examining its critique of early 19th-century English society.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The study covers themes of political and religious deterioration, the impact of industrialization and capitalism, and the role of the poet as a moral guide in society.
What is the primary objective of the author?
The objective is to demonstrate how Wordsworth uses the Petrarchan sonnet form, specific stylistic devices, and the idealization of John Milton to call for social change and a return to virtuous values.
Which methodology is employed in the work?
The author uses a formalist and historical literary analysis, examining poetic structure, meter, rhyme schemes, and intertextual references to provide context for the poem's arguments.
What does the main body of the text address?
The text evaluates the poem's structure (octave vs. sestet), identifies key stylistic devices like personification and trochaic deviations, and discusses the shift in tense and perspective within the sonnet.
Which keywords best describe the paper?
The paper is best described by keywords such as Romanticism, social criticism, William Wordsworth, John Milton, Petrarchan sonnet, and poetic form.
How does the author interpret the title "London, 1802"?
The title is interpreted as synecdochical, where the capital city represents the entire nation of England, turning the poem into a broader critique of the state of the country at that time.
Why does the speaker use trochaic meter in specific lines?
The author argues that these deviations from the iambic pentameter are used to mark important moments, startle the reader, and emphasize emotional exclamations like "Milton!" and "England".
What is the significance of the shift to the sestet?
The sestet shifts the perspective and tense, moving from a critique of contemporary England to an idealization of John Milton as a symbol of past virtue, purity, and "godliness."
- Citar trabajo
- Hans Niehues (Autor), 2014, Analysis of William Wordsworth's "London, 1802", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/323873
