London Burning

During the mid-1700s to the early 1800s London was an evolving society. The American Revolution and French Revolution provoked serious social and political changes. These changes seriously influenced William Blake’s literature. Most of this influence can be seen in “London”, which was written in 1792, and many parallels can be drawn between the poem and the revolutions occurring.

The first stanza creates a clear picture of a hopeless society. Blake writes that “marks of weakness, marks of woe” (4) can be seen in the faces of the people London. Even though the industrial revolution created new jobs and opportunities for growth, society was still against the changes that they saw. He verbalizes the inner feelings of the general population. Basically their daily lives are changing, yet they do not know how or want to deal with it, so they are dragging through life only to do what is necessary.

Continuing on, the second stanza deals with more than just the people drudging through life; they are now making their depression and despair against the situation known. These feelings encompass every person; “Every man… every Infant… every voice” (5-7). It is not based on class. Everybody is suffering as a result of the social and political changes taking place.

Blake also describes the physical, visual aspects of the more intangible feel of the revolutions. Describing “Every black’ning Church,” one can actually see in his mind’s eye the effect of the Industrial Revolution (10). The actual physical walls of the Church were being affected, not just the emotions of the people. The revolution also meant that more soldiers were needed, and London’s youth were being used to fight. The saddening image of their sighs being portrayed as “blood down Palace walls” shows how they were going to fight, to die (12).

The final stanza also talks about how affected children were as a result of the revolution. These children and infants were not growing up in a healthy atmosphere, and the “hearse” Blake speaks of signifies how the youth were surely headed to death or at least a despair-filled life in the gloomy London, an idea which he works up to all throughout the poem.

Overall, like all literary works, this poem can be interpreted in many ways. If you consider the time period in which William Blake’s “London” existed, it is quick to judge that this poem supports the idea that the Industrial Revolution signifies the destruction of youth and purity. Even though this revolution positively impacted advances in technology, the physical effects upon those who lived in the environments around the factories were catastrophically negative.