Compare and contrast the three portrayals of London in Blake’s :: English Literature

Compare and contrast the three portrayals of London in Blake’s London, Wordsworth’s Composed Upon Westminster Bridge and Johnson’s Inglan Is A Bitch. ============================================================== In â€Å"London†, Blake creates the image that London is a very grim place. He describes it, as having mapped out streets, even the river Thames is not flowing along its natural route, the whole place is unnatural, and false. All Blake can see is misery everywhere. This is made very clear by the repetition of the word â€Å"every†: â€Å"In every cry of every man, In every infant’s cry of fear, In every voice, in every ban, The mind-forg’d manacles I hear.† He uses repetition to get the message across that he sees real misery everywhere he looks, and in everything he hears. It gets the message into your mind. Also, â€Å"in every ban† is a public declaration, saying that everything about the place is made so that people are miserable. Blake goes on to say how London is a very dirty place; â€Å"black’ning church appals† creates the image of dirt being everywhere, even on churches, which are normally seen as places that are not left to get dirty. Clearly, Blake does not like London, and uses imagery to show this. With use of repetition, vivid images of the dirty, and miserable place he sees are created. Wordsworth however, has a very different approach to London. He sees it as the finest place on Earth, and that never before has he seen a place that really is so beautiful as London. He says that if you don’t see London as being like this, then you have no soul, no feelings. There is a very positive approach to the poem. â€Å"The beauty of the morning† and â€Å"majesty† used to build a picture of what he sees. â€Å"Like a garment† is a simile used to make it sound alive. Here you see a complete contrast to the way Blake sees London. Blake's misery and dullness, now seen as happiness and beauty. Wordsworth describes the Thames as being very natural, as flowing at its own will. Blake describes it as chartered, and unnatural. A complete contrast. In Wordsworth’s poem, there is no dirt, just clean â€Å"smokeless† air. The buildings are alive in Wordsworth’s poem, but not in Blake's. It is as if the two poets, are writing about a completely different place, even though they are writing about the same place at around the same time, the 19th century. However, and important factor we can take into account, is the time of day that the poems are describing. Wordsworth’s poem is written early in the morning, just as the sun is rising.