London
About the Poem:
In “London”, Blake is refering to the social restraints the higher classes of society has imposed on the working class, and the effects of these restraints on the human condition, emotionally and physically. Every part of the English city takes part in this, even the church. The chimney sweeper and the harlot are meant to represent their class’ “mind forged manicles” with society’s control over their destiny. No matter what they do, then cannot escape the daunting lives that they face.
London
I wander thro’ each charter’d street,
Near where the charter’d Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.
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.
How the Chimney-sweeper’s cry
Every black’ning Church appalls;
And the hapless Soldier’s sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls.
But most thro’ midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlot’s curse
Blasts the new born Infant’s tear,
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.
Picture From: creativecommons.org