The Prelude William Blake Analysis

702 Words3 Pages
Both “The Prelude” by William Wordsworth and “London” By William Blake” convey strong ideas and feelings about a place. Blake’s poem is most subjective about the city, contrary to the title. The reader would think that the title “London” is objective and unbiased; however Blake’s condemnation of the city is apparent from the start of the poem. On a simple level, the poem is a description of the misery Blake sees as he “wanders” around London. On a deeper level however, he is criticizing not only the condition of the city itself, but the monarchy and government who oppress it. Wordsworth’s poem is also a recollection. At its simplest it describes how, as a child, he stole a boat and rowed it out onto the lake at night. At a metaphorical…show more content…
The repetition of “chartered” emphasises the fact that the government’s oppression reached everywhere, and is used to highlight the social inequalities of the time. Repetition is used again, as Blake hears “every cry…every voice…every ban”. This repeat of the word “every” draws attention to the terrible poverty experienced by the poor; his use of the metaphor “mind forged manacles” is particularly disturbing. Manacles are chains formed from molten iron; the idea that these chains could be placed on someone’s mind suggests that nobody was allowed to speak out against the oppression - they were trapped inside their own minds. Blake then goes on to condemn the hypocrisy taking place; the fact that even though the church “appalls” against the child abuse taking place, it does nothing to…show more content…
This has connotations of seduction, as nature entices him like a woman would entice a man. This personification could also link to the story of Adam and Eve, the suggestion that Eve is nature, and Wordsworth has been tempted by her as Adam was. It also conveys the fact that Wordsworth is still an innocent child at this point, and is under the spell of a greater power. The “troubled pleasure” that Wordsworth experiences reinforces the idea of temptation – he knows that sneaking out in the night is wrong, but he enjoys it anyway, just as a man seduced by a woman would. The poem could possibly a metaphor for Wordsworth’s transition from childhood to adulthood. This idea is reflected as Wordsworth sees the “horizon…a huge peak”. This could be reference to the fact that Wordsworth is on the horizon of childhood, and the transition to adulthood is a huge obstacle. It could also suggest that Wordsworth is no longer in control of his situation, his feelings have changed and he is unsure of himself – the higher power, nature, has taken

More about The Prelude William Blake Analysis

Open Document