LONDON
William Blake
Unexpectedly, this poem took on new meaning when I recognized the name of William Wilberforce as I researched what was going on in 1789. I love the movie "Amazing Grace" that basically tells the story of his life and how he worked to abolish the British Slave trade. This kind of set up the background picture for me a little bit more as I re-read the poem by William Blake.
https://youtu.be/Q6Cv5P9H9qU Of course, the story ended a little better than the end of the poem did.
I believe that William Blake felt disheartened by the state of London in 1789. All of his descriptive words paint a picture of weariness and unhappiness. Words such as weakness, woe, fear, hapless, curse, plagues. I think the poem definitely depicts sadness and disappointment.
Chartered means regulated by a controlling body, such as the Royal establishment in 1789. The streets and the river Thames are controlled by the government, but the people are tired. There are things going on during that time period that cause the "mind-forged manacles" that Blake talks about. In 1789 the last woman was burned as punishment for a crime. The slave trade is going on, as mentioned before, and the reality of what is going on is being brought to the attention of everyone. I found a picture that also describes what I pictured when I heard the phrase "mind-forged manacles."
This was in addition to the manacles, or wooden yokes, I also had envisioned from the slave trade going on at the time.
"Chimney-sweeper's cries" is another type of "mind-forged manacle" in that during that time period this job was done by young children, boys usually. Often they died because of the work in the small chimneys and the damage it did to their bodies. These kids were basically slaves to their masters, even though they were English. Hapless means unfortunate and it seems that the chimney sweeps are hapless, so are the Soldiers. I do not know exactly why the blood runs down the palace walls in accordance to that time frame, but as a retired soldier, I know that it is truly unfortunate when soldier blood is lost and the soldiers left behind really feel hapless as they do what the government asks of them...or in the case of the poem, what the Royals who live in the palace ask of them.
The last refrain talks about young Harlots, or prostitutes. Blight is disease and so the picture is that of new-born infants, disease, marriage and death all in once short refrain. It is not a nice picture of a baby, but a picture of a hard life in the now and in the future for that child. In fact, that child could end up as one of the chimney sweeps because they will ultimately be an orphan.
Yes, overall I feel that William Blake is sad about London during that time frame.
