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| Sunday, 24 July 2005 |
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A/L English Literature Made Easy - Modern Poets LONDON by William Blake William Blake was born in 1757 and died in 1827. Blake is an early Romantic Poet. He seems to have had not followed the trends of any particular period, but had the creative inspiration. He worked hard to achieve the inspiration and ability to compose poetry. Rossetti, Fitzgerald and Swinburne, late 19th century poets thought high of him. Some of the themes that were important to him were The proper balance between intellect and impulse between those in authority and those who were controlled and the aspirations between men and women. His poem LONDON is based on the poet's views against the 'factory system' which caused men and women to be subjugated by the factory system which tore them from their home- based workshop models. With the introduction of the Factory System a large number of men and women were destined to work in badly constructed workshops and on newly designed machines. The workshops were badly ventilated. Factory owners were selfish and were concerned only about their incomes. They were badly and were paid a small amount as wages. They had to work long hours, living in dirty dwelling places. They had no recreation or any other facilities. Thus human values, were eroded. Factory workers were not properly cared for and had no interaction with one another. When they lived in villages they had a mutual connection and understanding of those around them and they helped each other. William Blake detests the factory system procedure. London was a city affected by this system. In Charles Dicken's Oliver Twist, the writer has highlighted the sad situation of the shady places in victorian London and the hectic life style that prevailed. Blake's poem, LONDON is a criticism of this Factory System. He clearly points out the evil effects of the prevailing system. Even the church and the state seems to pay no attention to these people. Blake touches upon the darker side of the industrial process. In the first stanza, the word Charter'd street shows the extreme power given by law to owners. The land on either side of river Thames chartered Thames does flow subjected to the usual blocking out and it is sold to rich people to set up factories making land rights exclusive to the owner. Before the blocking out, people could make use of the land, grazing their cattle, getting firewood and the common man had certain privileges. The beauty of the river faded away, with the touch of the capitalists. The single word mark in line three in the first stanza is a verb, while in the fourth line, mark is a noun which may mean 'a scar' quite visible. And mark in every face I met Marks of weakness, marks of woe The lines seem to emphasise the significance of weakness and unhappiness on the faces of people and the repetition of the word charter'd may emphasise the new procedure of development in London. The second stanza points out ,that freedom of man has been restricted. Manacles coincides with charter'd mind forged manacles may mean restriction of freedom. Blake's excellent choice of words, brings much importance and prominence to his ideas. Instead of saying' made to do', he uses the word manacles highlighting the extreme evil effect of losing one's freedom. In stanza three, the chimney sweepers image is clearly brought out. The small boys used as chimney sweepers, who climbed up the chimneys to remove the hardened layers of soot. When the boys climb up tall chimneys in storeyed houses, sometimes they get suffocated. But the people, not even the church was moved by their plight. It is Blake who is moved by the plight of these small boys subjected to exploitation. Blake has used the adjective black'ning to describe the church emphasising the fact that the church fails to perform its duty and thus accuses the church. Every black'ning church appals in stanza four seems to be an extension of the expression in stanza three. It begins with the word 'But' But most thro' midnight streets I hear How the youthful Harlot's curse The word 'But' highlights the poet's views. What he sees in the street even after midnight. The youthful harlot's curse. Curse may mean how many girls are forced into prostitution sell their bodies. Thus, a curse, and being ill treated and made to suffer. Curse could also mean the venereal diseases that have a terrible evil effect on the new-borns. It could blind them. The harlot's curse has a connection with the charter'd and wander in line one, of stanza one. The harlot walks on the streets but she is not free to refrain from selling her body NANCY's character in the novel, Oliver Twist coincides with the 'harlot' in Blake's poem LONDON. And blight with plagues the marriage hearse. This final line has strong emphasis, showing the ruin of the harlot and her child and how the marriage is cursed. Innocent children being subject to suffering, the factory workers, the harlots, the chimney sweepers are all a SYMBOLS of suffering. Their reckless state of mind, their weakness and distress marked on their faces. The paradox in the last line of the second verse The mind-forged manacles I hear is a reflection of the views of the poet. His intense dislike and his unhappiness caused by the new process of industrialization. All the cries of the manacled create the pathetic atmosphere prevailing in the poem. Cry of the people In every infant's cry of fear In every voice, in every ban The mind forg'd manacles I hear Blake highlights the fact that spiritual and moral values get lost when man goes after economic success The soldiers could derive satisfaction and pride when they die for a cause. But here they have to die working for the rich and they sigh in despair. William Blake's use of simple diction, intrinsic metaphor and the forceful words bring strong effect to the ideas expressed. His disagreement with the procedure of the function and the responsibilities of the church clearly and sarcastically highlight the prevailing atmosphere of the chartered city. A great number of people subjected to poverty and misery become under- privileged, while the Elite lead a luxurious life style. William Blake seems to be a sensitive person His The Garden of Love is another poem that highlights his poetic genius. Mrs. C. Ekanayake, Retd. Specialist Teacher Eng. Lit., St. Anne's College, Kurunegala. |
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