William Blake's "London"

[dragonyphoenix]

London By William Blake

I wander thro' each charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow.
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

In every cry of every Man,
In every Infants cry of fear,
In every voice: in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear

How the Chimney-sweepers cry
Every blackning Church appalls,
And the hapless Soldiers sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls

But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlots curse
Blasts the new-born Infants tear
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse

Comments

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Another wonderful selection. Thank you.


Gabrielle

[dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com]

Thanks. We reviewed this one in an English class a couple of years back. I'd naturally read Blake before, in high-school, but I'd apparently not been paying attention back then. I was blown away by this poem.