The Poem London Written by Blake

“The Chimney Sweeper” (128): This version of the Chimney Sweeper is very upfront and saddening. The version that is presented in the songs of innocence is much more of a calm town and is not as straightforward, while this version is very short and to the point. In this version its very deep as the narrator basically just calls out the parents/church for doing these horrible things to the children. I really love all three stanzas of this poem because they all have a really deep meaning and Blake transitions through them very well. Reading this poem over and over I don’t know what to make of it other than it is an absolute horrible situation. I think it can be tied in to

woman should have proper education so that she may exercise her hidden power of the use of

One way that Blake uses to convey his anger on what he sees is through

When writing “A Vindication of the Rights of Men”, Wollstonecraft was a woman in a “man’s world”. Her voice was a lone female amongst the opinions and politics of men and she “went up against two of the

Firstly, Wollstonecraft argues that women lack the worthy object that “sufficient serious employment” (The Rights of Men and The Rights of Woman, 194) furnishes. Accordingly, the premise of Vindication, suggests the duties of the female, are influenced by

In "London", William Blake brings to light a city overrun by poverty and hardship. Blake discards the common, glorifying view of London and replaces it with his idea of truth. London is nothing more but a city strapped by harsh economic times where Royalty and other venues of power have allowed morality and goodness to deteriorate so that suffering and poverty are all that exist. It is with the use of three distinct metaphors; "mind-forg'd manacles", "blackning Church", and "Marriage hearse", that Blake conveys the idea of a city that suffers from physical and psychological imprisonment, social oppression, and an unraveling moral society.

London by William Blake is a poem characterised by its dark and overbearing tone. It is a glimpse at a period of England's history (particularly London) during war and poverty, experienced by the narrator as he walks through the streets. Using personification it draws a great human aspect to its representation of thoughts and beliefs of the narrator.

Mary Wollstonecraft, who was born during the age of enlightenment in the 18th century, is one of the most prominent feminists in women’s history. Her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman led her to become one of the first feminists, advocating for the rights of women. Born in a time where women’s education was neither prominent nor important, Wollstonecraft was raised with very little education. However, events in her life influenced her to begin writing, such as the way her father, Edward John Wollstonecraft treated her mother, “into a state of wearied servitude” (Kries,Steven)1. In 1792, she published Vindication on the Rights of Woman, which is one of the most prominent feminist pieces to date. This book is considered a reply to

In Wollstonecraft’s Vindication of the Right of Women education is a tool used to gain freedom and be proactive in determining one’s fate. Wollstonecraft states that it is a farce to call any being virtuous whose virtues do not result from the exercise of its own reason (12). This means that in the eyes of Wollstonecraft is being proactive in determining your fate, which she considers a virtue. However, the only way to control your fate is to educate themselves about the society they live in(11). Through this education one is able to come to their on conclusions on what is right, and wrong as well as define virtues for themselves. With this freedom an individual has the ability to lay laws upon themselves and follow them, which Wollstonecraft considered a great virtue. This relationship between virtue and education greatly contributes to her belief that women should be able to receive an education like that of a man. For Wollstonecraft education equates to freedom and freedom to determine one 's life is virtuous. However, under oppressive patriarchy women are restricted from receiving equal education, which in

Mary Wollstonecraft’s, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, is another example in which an Enlightenment author exhibits their opinion on the education and purpose of women. Contradictory to Rousseau’s writing, Wollstonecraft believed that women have a greater purpose than to serve man, and that is to be independent and care for others while they also care for themselves. She stated that unlike in Emile, women should be seen as and act independently and take care of themselves. She believed that women are not on this Earth for the purpose of serving men, and that they can stray away from these duties if they wish. Education wise, Wollstonecraft believed that a woman should not be limited to caring for their families, but may choose to pursue a higher learning, such as nursing and healing. But, she also said that caring for their children and husbands is not to be seen as a lesser job that women take part in, and that it is to be respected. Although Wollstonecraft incorporated some

William Blake’s poem “London” takes a complex look at life in London, England during the late seventeen hundreds into the early eighteen hundreds as he lived and experienced it. Blake’s use of ambiguous and double meaning words makes this poem both complex and interesting. Through the following explication I will unravel these complexities to show how this is an interesting poem.

William Blake is one of England’s most famous literary figures. He is remembered and admired for his skill as a painter, engraver, and poet. He was born on Nov. 28, 1757 to a poor Hosier’s family living in or around London. Being of a poor family, Blake received little in the way of comfort or education while growing up. Amazingly, he did not attend school for very long and dropped out shortly after learning to read and write so that he could work in his father’s shop. The life of a hosier however was not the right path for Blake as he exhibited early on a skill for reading and drawing. Blake’s skill for reading can be seen in his understanding for and use of works such as the Bible and Greek classic literature.

A nineteenth century emphasis on the fleeting and the ephemeral makes a strong presence in the poem. Wordsworth places emphasis on the “now” in the verse “this City now…” referring to the early morning hours alone. The poet takes pleasure in watching London during sunrise; however, this does not imply that he will feel the same way at a different hour-during “midnight”, for example, which is the time of day that Blake describes in “London”. Just as a fancy garment is worn to be later removed, so is the city’s serene beauty at dawn only transient. Blake appears to be objective in his depictions of the city whereas Wordsworth’s perceptions are more personal as he takes on the role of a tourist. He does not acknowledge the city streets or its locals but rather focuses on observing its architecture at a specific time of day. The poet writes with exaggerated sentiments and his piece maintains a romantic quality to it; at times it almost seems as if he is describing a paradise instead of a bustling metropolis. In the opening lines of the poem he exuberantly exclaims, “Earth has not anything to show more fair”. He calls out with religious ardor, “Dear God!” as he stands in complete awe before the capital, the “mighty heart” of the world. In addition, Wordsworth declares that “Dull would he be of soul who could pass by/ A sight so touching in its majesty” in view of the breathtaking city. However, Blake’s Londoners do not seem to share the same enthusiasm of their city and appear

William Blake was one of those 19th century figures who could have and should have been beatniks, along with Rimbaud, Verlaine, Manet, Cezanne and Whitman. He began his career as an engraver and artist, and was an apprentice to the highly original Romantic painter Henry Fuseli. In his own time he was valued as an artist, and created a set of watercolor illustrations for the Book of Job that were so wildly but subtly colored they would have looked perfectly at home in next month's issue of Wired.

A Comparison Between William Wordsworth's Upon Westminster Bridge and William Blake's London The English Romantic period spanned between 1789 and 1824. This period was not so-called until the mid 19th century when readers began to see six different poets as part of the same movement. These poets were William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Shelly and John Keats.