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Analysis of Blake's "London" & Poe's "Alone"

The poem "London" by William Blake depicts the social injustices and suffering of the poor in London during the 1750s. Children were forced into dangerous labor like chimney sweeping and girls were sold into prostitution. The Thames River represented the political and social controls that prevented freedoms. Blake used powerful language and symbolism to show his anger at the corruption of the church and government that exploited the people. The poem "Alone" by Edgar Allan Poe reflects on his childhood feelings of isolation and loss after the death of his mother. Poe explores his inner darkness and depression through gloomy language and references to being outcast from other children. His numerous tragedies in life, including the absence of parental

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Gabrielle Rosales
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96 views3 pages

Analysis of Blake's "London" & Poe's "Alone"

The poem "London" by William Blake depicts the social injustices and suffering of the poor in London during the 1750s. Children were forced into dangerous labor like chimney sweeping and girls were sold into prostitution. The Thames River represented the political and social controls that prevented freedoms. Blake used powerful language and symbolism to show his anger at the corruption of the church and government that exploited the people. The poem "Alone" by Edgar Allan Poe reflects on his childhood feelings of isolation and loss after the death of his mother. Poe explores his inner darkness and depression through gloomy language and references to being outcast from other children. His numerous tragedies in life, including the absence of parental

Uploaded by

Gabrielle Rosales
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Charneth Tresha Panelo

XII- BGN

London

William Blake

The poem titled London is a manifestation of the social realities that


happened during 750’s and the later years in London. The author creatively
visualized the setting of the poem by using precise words and symbolism as
well as powerful writing style to further give emphasis to the idea that the
author wanted to convey to the readers.
According to some books, London was in the state of flux during the
time of Blake. The phrase “near where chartered Thames does not flow” does
not literally signifies a river but the political and social injustice in
the place. Whereas the common lands of England became enclosed due to private
ownership. This is why the Thames does not flow because someone holds it. As
to London, it was those people with great influence to the government who
stops it from flowing. According to Thomas Paine the original word was
“dirty” but Blake changed it into chartered to signify powerless citizens
has been taken away by rights because some of the common commodities are
controlled and sold off. The poem does not only signify physical suffering
of the people but also the spiritual one. Because even the church has
contribution to the sufferings of the people. The author used repetition in
the second stanza to give more impact to the sufferings of the people. To
simply let the readers feel the misery in the place where the poem is
inspired.
The preceding stanza pictured the abuse of the children done by both
the church and the soldiers. The child labor, on how a dangerous and dirty
cleaning of the chimney are done by the little boys, all because they were
already sold to become slaves. The girls however became prostitutes. A
comfort child to anyone who desires to buy her and just left behind when
pregnant. The red paint symbolizes the fallen soldiers. And the blast tear
of an infant is because even their parents sold them for prostitution.
The last stanza showed the anger in the heart of Blake. Not even the
new borns are saved from the corrupted system in the society. Nobody is
immune to it. At the last line, Blake used oxymoron to assert that marriage
does no good in the society.
Charneth Tresha Panelo

XII- BGN

ALONE

Edgar Allan Poe

The poem has a gloomy, mysterious and very dark mood because of the
word choice by the author. The poem is a flashback of a grown-up narrator
who’s trying to look back to his childhood days that’s full of darkness. Poe
speak about the days when he felt outcast and the sadness of his life that
his imprisoned to. People that he loved and gave importance to ended up
leaving him. From childhood he already felt left-out. The poem was actually
a psychological treatment to the extreme depression due to pain. The author
wrote his feelings, all his despairs to free himself from drowning. The
misery of the author showed in his poem.
Poe brought about his loss and unhappiness. Also because of losing a
mother made him more miserable and felt unloved. In his poem, the author
tried to picture out to the readers that he was not like the normal kids who
play happily under the sun because ever since then, he was unable to save
himself from sadness. He further visualize through text that all his
pleasures and love was only kept into his inner self.
There’s a numerous amount of tragedies that happened in his life. It is
thoroughly hinted in the text that there’s a “demon” from his view. This may
symbolize his fears and despair or it could also symbolize his foster father
who did not provide the love and support for his growth.
The author is known for his horror and obscure stories. However, he was
only recognized after his tragic and mysterious death. This led the people
to look at his works and they are daunted by his sorrowful works. Edgar Allan
Poe is only commended after his death. A tragedy that rose his fame.
It is a pity to look that his despairing story takes to lead his
prominent fame. However, he was only known after his death. It is a pity
that he never saw his successful plays and novels soar to success.

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