Off to London

I view William Blake's "London" as a pretty powerful political criticism of the British government of his time. Without actually stating his intent, or even mention the government, Blake seriously criticizes his government and reflects on the fear and misery that it has caused. In the first two lines, the speaker describes the streets and river which he walks by as "chartered" (1, 2), which the side note explains as being "defined by law". By simply stating the fact that the streets and Thames are defined by law, Blake immediately triggers in the reader and image of a tyrannical government that feels that it must control all within its domain, even the river. He then continues on and describes "in every face [he] meet[s]/ Marks of weakness, marks of woe" (3-4). By progressing from the government's control immediately to the people's misery, Blake draws a connection between the two existences.

He then expands his description of the people's misery, explaining that every citizen suffers from "The mind-forged manacles" (8) he wears as a result of the government's actions. Blake continues on in the last two stanzas to describe the losses and suffering of the workers and subjects of both the "black'ning Church" (10) and the "Palace" (12), or monarchy, and then describes the effect on morality that the Church and State's actions have had: "How the youthful Harlot's curse/ Blasts the new-born Infant's tear,/ And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse" (14-16). Blake saves his most powerful verbs for the final stanza, revealing his thought that the government's actions have caused the people to become not only dispirited but also dehumanized. Although he does not state it aloud, Blake's message is clear: his government is no more nor less than a tyranny.