susansenglish

What I love… Education based blog by @susansenglish

Why I love…Comparing Ozymandias and London

I tasked my tutoring group with pre-annotating Ozymandias and London to come to the group with some ideas about the poem.

When they arrived, we went through Paper 2 (Language) Q4 and focused on the top tips for this question and in a few weeks time, I’ll test these top tips with them when they complete a Paper 2. In the meantime, I wrote an introduction to go through with them and a first paragraph to show them a higher level introduction which stuck to the basics that we discussed in last weeks session and added to these with a bit of writers’ intentions and context (linking both the poems).

These are the ideas that we gathered and what we discussed in relation to context.

2020-01-25

The question was:

How is power presented in Ozymandias and one other poem from the anthology? (we used London).

Then, I planned as I would ask them to:

Ozymandias and London links 

  • Entitlement/arrogance
  • Ordinary suffer
  • Meaningless in long term
  • Ramoses II – Ozymandias
  • Romantic – Shelley
  • Innocence vs Experience
  • Power (politics) anti
  • Comp (although I can’t remember what I meant by this as it was an abbreviation of my thought process) I used this as an example of making notes clear!

I explained that I’d noticed context embedding missing in almost all the Anthology essays that I’d marked and that this suggested when planning making a quick note of this would serve as a good reminder for them to include this in their essays.

As you can see from the picture I annotated the introduction to exemplify what I was trying to show them.

The full essay is below:

Ozymandias by Blake and London by Shelley are both poems which reveal the corrupting influence of power. Both poets reflect on power as something that creates a sense of entitlement or arrogance, as a way to make those lacking in power suffer and to show that ultimately power and status is meaningless in the long term as all power is equalised by death. The poets Blake and Shelley appear to want to show through their depictions of people, how power in the wrong hands is used for evil, therefore both create a social commentary relating to hierarchical power structures and their inherent unfairness.

It appears clear that power when gained leads to a sense of entitlement that causes arrogance and disdain towards lower class people. In Ozymandias Shelley makes this distinction through the ruin of the statue which immortalises the ruler in stone. The plosives in “sneer of cold command” with the assonant sounds create an impression of an unking, uncaring and callous leader, who disrespects and disregards his subjects thoughts and feelings due to his own belief in his superior nature. Furthermore, the sculptor “well those passions read” as stated by the narrator (who was told the story second hand) creates a tone of sarcasm about the great ruler. The story was based on Ramoses II whose likeness was sculpted on a huge stone statue, which would have been very difficult to create and would have caused great pain and suffering to those who were commanded to create the statue. Interestingly, in Blake’s poem the ruling classes are criticised from afar creating a sense of distance that rulers had from their subjects. For example, Blake, when wandering at night through the streets of London was struck by the poverty and suffering of the poor and commented on this through repetition of “Marks on every face I meet, marks of weakness, marks of woe” which implies that the people are suffering intensely and that they feel sorrowful and impotent. The use of “marks” indicates that this is written all over the faces of the people of London and suggests that this suffering is widespread. The entitlement of the ruling classes can be seen in this is through the disregard for the poor. When “blood runs down the palace walls” the insinuation is that the monarchy are to blame for more suffering, that of the soldiers, and that they are complicit in this suffering. The ‘blood’ is being shed and as a result of decisions that the Government and Monarchy have made innocent men are dying. Perhaps, both poets feel resentment towards the rulers who have not used their power to help people but instead allowed them to suffer while they take what they like and live lives that are privileged. This is exemplified in “King of Kings” with the arrogant assumption that Ozymandias is better than and more in control of others than anyone else. The repetition makes a god-like assertion of himself and shows the sense of entitlement that the ruler had.

The  people in the poems suffer through their lack of power. This is evident in “the hand that mocked them, the heart that fed;” with the caesura creating impact and making us pause to realise how callous and cruel the ruler is towards the ordinary people. “Mocked” has connotations of belittling, being rude towards others and ridiculing which shows how they suffer at the “hand (s)” of their ruler, who is supposed to look after his subjects. Instead he gets them to do hard labour in order to create an ostentatious symbol of his power, through the size of the statue “two vast and trunkless legs of stone”. The use of the adjective “vast” creates the idea of the immense size of the legs. Although, the intention was to create something to immortalise the ruler, the statue is ruined which infers that power is not something that can be held onto and how you behave towards others is more important than creating a symbol of your power. Shelley is commenting on the unfairness of political systems in the poem and is showing his disdain for organised rule, while Blake is also commenting on the corrupt nature of politicians, the monarch and organised societal structures in London, because the cause great suffering to all. Repetition is again used by Blake to reinforce the great suffering of all mankind in “In every cry of every man…” with the use of “every” reinforcing the widespread nature of the sorrow that is felt by all members of society. “Man” is used as a collective noun to encompass all humanity and Blake further reinforces this bleak outlook on mankind’s suffering in the metaphor he uses at the end of the second stanza. “The mind-forg’d  I hear” with the enjambement leading onto more suffering for the small children who were forced to go up the chimneys to clean them. This is an indication of the poverty and suffering that employers meted out in the Victorian era towards their employees, in this case small children. However, the metaphor indicates that even the people are suffering mentally, are trapped and have no way out. In this way Blake comments on how power creates a trap for every member of society as they have no escape. This entitlement, arrogance and suffering caused through power is in the end pointless.

The pointlessness of trying to maintain power is shown in both poems as nature takes over. The desert sands overtake the statue and it remains ruined and broken and negative description of what remains reinforces this “decay” “colossal wreck” “boundless and bare”. These all show that “Nothing beside remains.” meaning that for all the cruelty and desire to be remembered, actually what is left is a ruin. Death here means that nobody has maintained the great statue that was built to keep the rulers image alive. The idea that death equalises everything is also evident in the final metaphor “blights with plague the marriage hearse” which has an extremely cynical tone and indicates that we all die and that Blake doesn’t believe in the sanctity of marriage. The use of “plague” has biblical connotations and shows that the institute of marriage is flawed and as with the rest of the poem the criticism of institutions is evident here. Blake has shown that we all die and that there is little in the world that is innocent. Maybe, he was influenced by the way the world was changing and not for the better during the industrial revolution. Cottage industry was almost decimated and people had to move to the big cities, like London to find work, meaning that they were overcrowded, conditions were unsanitary and the worst behaviour was on show. Blake evidently disliked this fast paced change and was suspicious of it. Shelley, however doesn’t show suspicion but seems cynical of how power is used, when in the wrong hands.

Both Blake and Shelley comment on the way power corrupts those that have it, how it is used to create and cause suffering for those who are innocent or who least appear to deserve it and show that death and nature in the end are more powerful and important than the social constructs that create powerful leaders.  Perhaps, both poets wanted to show us that their experiences and understanding of the world had been shaped and changed the more they knew and understood about human nature and that when we think about it carefully the natural world that we have around us is most powerful.

Ozymandias vs London

Share this:

18 thoughts on “ why i love…comparing ozymandias and london ”.

This is brilliant. Thank you!

Thanks Yamina, I found it really hard to do and then doubted myself, so this is reassuring. Thank you.

Like Liked by 1 person

Ozymandias by Blake and London by Shelley – wrong way around. Shelley wrote Ozymandias.

I know, thanks. I dealt with the mistake, when discussing the poems with the students.

Hello susansenglish can this be used to get a 9 in english please?

Using this example as it is would be plagiarism. You can use it as a model to help your understanding of the poem.

Hello I’m in y11 now my GCSE is coming up and I find it hard to write poems can u help me plz

You need to write about the poems. Have a look at the comparison collection on the blog to help.

Can you recommend some structural devices and explanation on those structural devices by the quotes in the poem.

Sonnet form, use of enjambment and end stopping, the narrative voice.

London is by Blake not Shelley and Ozymandias is by Shelley not Blake

Thanks, I know. I accidently put it round the wrong way when doing the example. All human!

Is there a use of form, structure and language in this essay?

This is great! Thank You!

  • Pingback: Why I love…Comparison Collection Power & Conflict AQA – susansenglish

i used this in my mocks and got a 9 thanks did it word for word

This isn’t to copy, it is an example! You are supposed to do your own thinking. I wouldn’t recommend in the real exam doing this, as its called plagiarism and if caught you’ll gain no marks.

Really appreciate this. Thanks so much

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Social menu.

  • Why I love…Closed Book for GCSE Literature
  • Why I love…How – What – Why – Emotional Response for Analysis
  • Why I love…Law in R&J
  • Why I love…Instructions
  • Why I love… My Dad
  • Why I love…Challenging perceptions of drugs with students
  • Why I love…#Hay30
  • Why I love…Just another lesson
  • Why I love…Considering Evaluation Style Questions
  • Why I love… Challenging Apathy
  • Why I love… Writing at the same time as the class
  • Why I love … Religion in A Christmas Carol
  • Why I love…Engagement in Y13 & Hamlet Podcasting
  • Why I love… The Power of Three for Revising
  • Why I love… Going back to basics: Instructions
  • Why I love… Shakespeare (& think teaching it is so important)
  • Why I love…Promoting Analysis
  • Why I love…Considering Leadership Qualities
  • Why I love…Easter & reading: the Carnegie shortlist
  • Why I love…Quizlet
  • Why I love… Engaging Revision or ‘The Final Push’
  • Why I love… Metacognitive Activities
  • Why I love… Quick Revision Wins
  • Why I love… Thinking about Transactional Writing
  • Why I love…Podcasting with @ChurchillEng
  • Why I love… #LeadPChat
  • Why I love… Teaching Hamlet
  • Why I love…Teaching (part 2)
  • Why I love…collaborative Inset @NSTA
  • Why I love… Developing 2A: Non-Fiction Reading Unit @Eduqas_English
  • Why I love…Encouraging Revision @Eduqas_English
  • Why I love…Twitter Revision
  • Why I love… exploding an extract
  • Why I love… teaching the Language Reading Paper
  • Why I love… teaching Unseen Poetry
  • Why I love… Assessment policy development for the New GCSE @Eduqas_English
  • Why I love… Considering Context @Eduqas Poetry Anthology
  • What I love… about unpicking the Eduqas Language Fiction Paper 1A (A4 & A5 Only)
  • What I love… unpicking the Eduqas Language Fiction Paper 1A (A1 – A3 Only)
  • Why I love…(d) #TLT16
  • What I love… about #WomenEd
  • Why I love… Quotations and Retention
  • Why I love positive parental contact…
  • Why I love collaboration in Year 13…
  • Why I love our Eduqas revision site
  • Why I love to read…
  • Why I love A Level & AS Level results…
  • Why I love thinking about classroom displays…
  • Why I love collaborative working…
  • Why I love summer…
  • Why I love teaching…
  • Why I love…CPD Feedback
  • What I love… the little things
  • Why I love… Training @Eduqas_English
  • Why I love… #lovetoRead My Desert Island Books
  • Why I love…teaching poetry
  • Education Based blog
  • Why I love…The A5 Fiction/A4 Non-Fiction Evaluation Question
  • Why I Love…Blog Series 18: Mametz Wood By Sheers
  • Why I love… Scaffolding the Tension and Drama – Structure Question for @Eduqas_English
  • Why I love…Scaffolding: Language Analysis Questions
  • Why I love…Blog Series: Introducing Context (War focus)
  • Why I love…Scaffolding: Comprehension A1 Fiction Language @Eduqas_English
  • Why I love…Blog Series 17: Ozymandias by Shelley
  • Why I Love…Building Girls’ Confidence: My #WomenEdSW session
  • Why I love…Strategies for stretch and challenge
  • Why I love… Developing Analysis using Triplets
  • Why I love…Blog Series 16: Dulce et Decorum Est by Owen
  • Why I Love… Blog Series 15: Afternoons by Larkin
  • Why I love… Vocabulary Improvement Strategies
  • Why I love…Blog series 14: To Autumn by Keats
  • Why I love…Embedding Knowledge Organisers into learning
  • Why I love…Whole Class Feedback & Other Time-Saving Feedback Strategies
  • Why I love…Blog Series 13: Hawk Roosting by Hughes
  • What I love…Learning from #TLT
  • Why I Love… Live Modelling for across the curriculum
  • Why I love…(d) #TLT17 @TLT17
  • Why I love…Blog Series 12: Death of a Naturalist by Heaney
  • Why I love…Blog Series 11: A Wife in London by Hardy
  • Why I love…Blog Series 10: Valentine by Duffy
  • Why I love…Eduqas Blog Series 9: Cozy Apologia by Dove
  • Why I love…Eduqas Blog Series 8: As Imperceptibly as Grief By Dickinson
  • Why I love…Literature Examiner key considerations
  • Why I love…Eduqas Anthology: Blog Series 7 Living Space by Dharker
  • Why I love…Unpicking the Eduqas Examiners report – Literature
  • Why I love…Unpicking the Eduqas Examiners report – Language
  • Why I love…Eduqas Anthology: Blog Series 6 – She Walks in Beauty Byron
  • Why I love…Eduqas Anthology: Blog Series 5 – The Soldier by Rupert Brooke
  • Why I love…Eduqas Anthology: Blog Series 4 – London by Blake
  • Why I love…Eduqas Anthology: Blog Series 3 Sonnet 43
  • Why I love…Eduqas Anthology: Blog Series 2 – The Manhunt
  • Why I love…Closed Book for GCSE Literature
  • Why I love…How – What – Why – Emotional Response for Analysis
  • Why I love…Law in R&J
  • Why I love…Instructions
  • Why I love… My Dad
  • Why I love…Challenging perceptions of drugs with students
  • Why I love…Considering Evaluation Style Questions
  • Why I love…Engagement in Y13 & Hamlet Podcasting
  • Why I love…Teaching
  • Why I love thinking about classroom displays…
  • Why I love A Level & AS Level results…
  • Why I love to read…
  • What I love… about unpicking the Eduqas Language Fiction Paper 1A (A4 & A5 Only)
  • Why I love…teaching poetry
  • Why I love…CPD Feedback
  • What I love… the little things
  • Why I love… Training @Eduqas_English
  • Why I love…Twitter Revision
  • Why I love…Teaching (part 2)
  • Why I love… Teaching Hamlet
  • Why I love…Podcasting with @ChurchillEng
  • Why I love… Quick Revision Wins
  • Why I love…Easter & reading: the Carnegie shortlist
  • Why I love…Considering Leadership Qualities
  • Why I love… Shakespeare (& think teaching it is so important)

' src=

  • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
  • Subscribe Subscribed
  • Copy shortlink
  • Report this content
  • View post in Reader
  • Manage subscriptions
  • Collapse this bar

london poem comparison essay

Skip to content

Get Revising

Join get revising, already a member, london vs ozymandias.

  • Created by: Jesswardop
  • Created on: 18-02-20 16:55
  • English Literature
  • AQA Anthology

Report Mon 7th November, 2022 @ 18:07

Similar English Literature resources:

Poetry Cluster 2 Quotes 5.0 / 5 based on 1 rating

Themes 5.0 / 5 based on 1 rating

English Literature: Ozymandias 0.0 / 5

Ozymandias: Poems to compare to 0.0 / 5

Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) 0.0 / 5

Poems to Compare 0.0 / 5

power and conflict poetry quotes 0.0 / 5

Tissue: Poems to compare to 0.0 / 5

Power 0.0 / 5

Related discussions on The Student Room

  • any tips? »
  • Eduqas GCSE English Literature Paper 1 [17th May 2023] Exam Chat »
  • GCSE English Lit 2023 predictions »
  • ozymandias gcse english poetry »
  • Poetry Anthology Help »
  • gcse english lit eduqas 2024 predictions »
  • Anyone else Eduqas English Lit? »
  • Eduqas English lit »
  • AQA Power and Conflict poems to compare to eachother »
  • GCSE predictions 2024 :) »

london poem comparison essay

AC studies

London and My Last Duchess: GCSE Poetry Comparison and Sample Essay

London by William Blake and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning both feature in the AQA Power and Conflict anthology for GCSE English literature. They are fascinating poems containing some difficult themes, not least poverty, corruption, murder, gender-based violence… and the conflict that arises from the misuse of power.

London is often seen as one of the most difficult poems to analyse and compare in the entire anthology. While it certainly can be challenging, there are loads of links you can make with the other poems. To help kickstart your thinking, I’ve written a sample essay comparing London with My Last Duchess .

If you’re feeling uncertain about either of these poems, it’s helpful to listen to a reading first (there’s plenty on YouTube ). After you’ve listened to the poems, there’s a great guide to My Last Duchess available on SparkNotes as well as a fab discussion of London and it’s themes by the rapper Akala.

Here it is:

Once you’ve familiarised yourself with the poems, come back to this essay. Have a read through and think about how you’d improve it. Does it meet the AQA assessment objectives ? And if not, why not?

Ready? Let’s go.

In London , William Blake explores ideas about the abuse of power. Compare this with one other poem of your choice ( My Last Duchess ).

In London by William Blake and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning, both poets delve into the theme of the abuse of power. While Blake focuses on the misuse of power by individuals in “palaces” and “churches” through his depiction of London, Browning presents a personal exploration of a wealthy Duke’s potential involvement in the murder of his wife.

In London , as the narrator walks through the “chartered” streets, he observes “marks of weakness, marks of woe” on every face he encounters. This powerful statement suggests the people of London are trapped in a perpetual state of misery. The word “mark” can also be interpreted metaphorically as a brand, symbolising how people are forcibly marked and confined to their societal positions. Instead of a powerful capital, London becomes a backdrop for widespread suffering with people held-back by their own “mind-forged manacles” as well as those in power. The repetition of words like “every” emphasizes the scale of this affliction, while auditory imagery captures the cries and fears of every individual, regardless of age or social standing.

Similarly, My Last Duchess explores the misuse of power, but from a gender-based violence perspective. The poem begins with the possessive pronoun “my” in reference to the Duke’s deceased wife. This indicates his desire to claim her as a possession, much like the artwork adorning his walls showcasing his wealth and control. The Duke’s focus on the reputation of artists, such as “Fra Pandolf” and “Claus of Innsbruck, reveals his prioritisation of their fame over the woman in the painting. While Blake presents the abuse of power in terms of economic and social divisions, Browning portrays it through gender dynamics. The Duke’s description of the “faint half-flush that dies along her throat” creates a sinister tone, employing fricative alliteration and words (such as “dies” and “throat”) semantically associated with murder.

Blake’s narrator expresses shame over the stark contrast between the powerful and the impoverished within the city. In contrast, the speaker in My Last Duchess exudes pride and arrogance about his own power. Browning skilfully reveals the Duke’s underlying insecurities with his long monologue, however, leaving readers questioning the extent of his true power. He ironically states that even if he had “skill in speech”, he wouldn’t stoop to say “just this or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, or there exceed the mark”. His inability to express his emotional needs suggests the woman held true power in their relationship. Sadly, this conflict culminates in the ultimate abuse of power, when the Duke recalls “then all smiles stopped together”. This short, declarative statement implies the Duchess was killed at his behest.

In Blake’s poem, short declarative sentences also highlight the abuse of power. When he describes how “the hapless Soldier’s sigh / runs in blood down Palace walls,” the vivid metaphor of dripping blood symbolises the sacrifices of the poor to safeguard privileged palace residents. The additional juxtaposition between the “cries” of child chimney sweepers and the ringing of church bells further reinforces the image of the powerful (in this case, religious elites), suppressing the populace.

Both poets also use structural devices to reinforce themes of power and its misuse. Blake’s meticulous observations of London are heightened by the regular alternate rhyme scheme and carefully constructed quatrains. The ABAB rhythm mirrors his fastidious steps as he observes each street and its inhabitants. Moreover, each stanza builds on the previous one. The first stanza focuses on misery, the second on people’s inability to challenge power, the third on the sacrifices made by the poor, and the final stanza presenting a bleak view of the destructive power of corruption (“How the youthful Harlots curse / Blasts the new-born Infants tear / And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse”). Similarly to London’s strong narrative voice, in My Last Duchess , Browning uses caesura and enjambment to create a dramatic monologue that vividly mimics the flow of the Duke’s thoughts. Despite his apparent lack of self-control (ranting at length), the poem maintains a regular rhyming structure with rhyming couplets and iambic pentameter. This adds another layer of facade to the Duke’s character. Like the poem itself, he appears carefully-composed on the surface but harbours more sinister intentions and abuses of power beneath.

Over to you…

This essay is missing a conclusion and context about each poem. How would you finish it off?

Here are some notes on context to help… good luck!

My Last Duchess: Context

Robert Browning was a poet in the Victorian period. His family were very wealthy, but he never felt comfortable with elite London society. Despite the disapproval of both sets of parents, Browning travelled to Italy to marry his love and fellow poet Elizabeth Barrett. They were unable to marry in England because of Elizabeth’s overprotective father in particular.

  • Can you link controlling male figures with the events in My Last Duchess?

My Last Duchess is loosely based on the real Duke of Ferrara (Alfonso II d’Este). In 1558 (at the age of 24), he married Lucrezia di Cosimo de’ Medici, the 13-year-old daughter of Cosimo I de’ Medici. Lucrezia was well-educated, and the Medicis were considered “nouveau riche” in comparison to the venerable Este family.

  • How does this deepen your understanding of the poem? Hint – Alfonso II d’Este’s remark regarding his gift of a “nine-hundred-years-old name” clearly indicates he considered his bride beneath him socially.

Lucrezia came with a sizeable dowry . Despite this, the Duke of Ferrara abandoned her two years before she died on 21 April 1561, at age 16. Although there was a strong suspicion of poisoning, it’s likely the cause of death was tuberculosis. The poem is written from the Duke’s perspective, spoken to an unknown messenger about his next marriage.

  • What does this reveal about the conflicts in the Duke’s character and how much he really cared for his wife?

London: Context

William Blake was a Romantic poet in the Victorian/Georgian period. He wrote many poems in two anthologies titled Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience . The Songs of Innocence poems were often simple, naive and positive. Conversely, the Songs of Experience poems were often cynical, bitter and pessimistic.

  • Can you guess which anthology London featured in? Why do you think this?

London was published in 1794, when child labour, poverty, death, disease and malnutrition were all high in English industrial cities. Women also had very little rights and the poorest in society were often forced into prostitution to earn a small living. The industrial revolution resulted in many people moving from the countryside into cities, to work in large factories for low wages. William Blake’s poetry often angrily argued against this capitalist corruption and exploitation.

  • What references to exploitation, corruption and problems in society do you see in the poem?

This period witnessed the French Revolutionary Wars: a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802, resulting from the French Revolution. During this revolution, the French people overthrew and executed their king. The revolution was meant to ensure equality and freedom for all in society. This contrasted with Britain, a country with an established monarchy and aristocratic classes firmly in power. The wars pitted France against Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and several other monarchies.

  • Do you think William Blake is encouraging people in England to throw off their “mind forged manacles”, just like the French?

More  Power and Conflict  sample poetry essays:

  • A comparison of  Exposure  and  Charge of the Light Brigade
  • A comparison of  Storm on the Island  and  The Prelude
  • A comparison of  Ozymandias  and  Kamikaze
  • A comparison of Tissue and The Émigrée

Support my work

Have you found this post helpful? By making a contribution, you’ll help me continue creating free study materials for students around the country. Thank you!

If you like this, please share!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Leave a comment Cancel reply

' src=

  • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
  • Subscribe Subscribed
  • Copy shortlink
  • Report this content
  • View post in Reader
  • Manage subscriptions
  • Collapse this bar

Composed Upon Westminster Bridge And London Comparison

Comparison between “London” by William Blake and “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge” by William Wordsworth The city of London has inspired many poets throughout the ages. Two of the most distinctive portrayals are William Blake’s “London” published in Songs of Experience in 1974 and “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802” by William Wordsworth. While both Blake and Wordsworth comment on the conflict between appearance and reality, Blake shows the gloomy ugliness by taking down London’s streets.

William Wordsworth’s ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’ reveals the beauty of London from upriver.

Their poems symbolize British royalty and politics. Setting, tone and theme help reader develop a greater appreciation both the pleasures and pains of life. Both poets’ writing is around the same time. However they have totally different views of the same city. “London” “London” has four quartrains, with very regular ABAB rhyming schemes. The repetition is also evident in the language. Words such as ‘charter’d’, ‘mark’ and ‘every’ are repeated in the poem and create a sense of urgency.

Wordsworth’s poem is a sonnet, fourteen lines, written in regular metre of Iambic Pentameters, lines of ten syllables. Both titles are very clear about the content in the poems so therefore setting the scene. Both poems are set near London’s famous Thames River. “London” begins with an attack on the new Capitalism of the 1700s in the lines, ‘I wander through each charter’d” street, near where the charter’d Thames does flow’, Blake has repeated the word “charter’d” to sharpen the ironic point whereas Wordsworth is just viewing London from above.

london poem comparison essay

Proficient in: Bridge

“ This writer never make an mistake for me always deliver long before due date. Am telling you man this writer is absolutely the best. ”

Wordsworth Sonnet Westminster Bridge

The narrator of “Westminster Bridge” feels forced to pause and examine the city from the vantage point of the bridge that crosses the Thames. The narrators’s soul is stirred by the majestic ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples that filled the heart of London. To the narrator, it is more perfect and more attractive than all of God’s creation. Similarly, Blake’s London described a wandering or near where the charter’d Thames does flow. However, the speaker doesn’t admire London’s architecture; he looks down and focuses on the people.

London is filled with marks of weakness and woe to Blake’s narrator. Blake mentions the “blasts” of the infant, chimney sweeper, soldier and even the harlot. Wordsworth’s London is asleep and at rest, while Blake’s London is restless and awake even through midnight. While Wordsworth portrays the beauty of London, Blake describes a cruel, cold and bitter London. The purpose of Blake’s London is to reveal the compulsion of the lower class citizens of London, by the nobles during the late 18th century.

Blake uses various poetic devices in order to enhance the portrayal of the poem’s purpose to the reader. These devices include metaphor, symbolism, and repetition. ‘The mind-forged manacles I hear’ (line 8) is the central image of the poem. Manacles are chains which prisoner would have to wear and they were also used to prevent slaves from escaping. The narrator is suggesting that people’s minds are restricted and confined-that the city has robbed them of the ability to think. The poem is full of negative words: ‘weakness’, ‘woe’, ‘cry’, ‘fear’, ‘appals’, ‘blood’, blights’, plagues’ and ‘hearse’.

Although the poem ends with the phrase ‘marriage’, it isn’t symbolize love or new life but with the word ‘hearse’. In Blake’s opinion the future of the city brings nothing but decay and death. In the meantime, Wordsworth uses personification throughout the poem to create a sense of the city as a living creature, along with London “wears” the morning, and has a “might heart,” and houses are “asleep. ” Negative language is used to create the impression that the city is greater to nature. “Never did the sun more beautifully,” “Ne’er saw I, never felt a calm so deep! Furthermore, words like ‘majesty’ and ‘mighty’ suggests the strength of power of the city, which the speaker here is in awe of the power he is experiencing. These two views of 19th century London, symbolize and its complexities. Those are times when the world is incomprehensible, lonely and unjust. Some suggest that people cannot appreciate happiness without and understanding of sadness, cannot define light without experiencing darkness. Whilst “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge” is positive, Blake is concerned with the negatives of life in London.

Wordsworth here is focusing on the city in the morning, and does not mention seeing people. Blake’s poem is about the effects of the city on its residents. Wordsworth’s line “The river glideth at his own sweet will’ is arguably a rejection of Blake ‘description of the “charter’d Thames”. The speaker in Wordsworth’s poem seems to believe in the power of nature to persist alongside the man-made city, even that it is perfected by the city. Ultimately, the hell of Blake’s London and the heaven of Wordsworth’s London complement each other, reminding the reader that world is truly bitter sweet.

Cite this page

Composed Upon Westminster Bridge And London Comparison. (2019, Dec 05). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/paper-on-essay-comparison-london-william-blake-composed-upon-westminster-bridge-william-wordsworth/

"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge And London Comparison." PaperAp.com , 5 Dec 2019, https://paperap.com/paper-on-essay-comparison-london-william-blake-composed-upon-westminster-bridge-william-wordsworth/

PaperAp.com. (2019). Composed Upon Westminster Bridge And London Comparison . [Online]. Available at: https://paperap.com/paper-on-essay-comparison-london-william-blake-composed-upon-westminster-bridge-william-wordsworth/ [Accessed: 28 Apr. 2024]

"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge And London Comparison." PaperAp.com, Dec 05, 2019. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://paperap.com/paper-on-essay-comparison-london-william-blake-composed-upon-westminster-bridge-william-wordsworth/

"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge And London Comparison," PaperAp.com , 05-Dec-2019. [Online]. Available: https://paperap.com/paper-on-essay-comparison-london-william-blake-composed-upon-westminster-bridge-william-wordsworth/. [Accessed: 28-Apr-2024]

PaperAp.com. (2019). Composed Upon Westminster Bridge And London Comparison . [Online]. Available at: https://paperap.com/paper-on-essay-comparison-london-william-blake-composed-upon-westminster-bridge-william-wordsworth/ [Accessed: 28-Apr-2024]

  • View of London in 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge' and Blake's poem 'London' Pages: 10 (2943 words)
  • Sonnet Composed Upon Westminster Bridge Pages: 7 (2006 words)
  • William Wordsworth Composed Upon Westminster Bridge Summary Pages: 2 (484 words)
  • Westminster Bridge Poem Pages: 6 (1611 words)
  • The London Dungeon Lies In The Oldest Part Of London Pages: 4 (1037 words)
  • The Great Bridge: the Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge Pages: 17 (5094 words)
  • Strophic vs Through-composed Pages: 7 (2023 words)
  • Comparison of Wordsworth and Blake's London Portrayal Pages: 11 (3127 words)
  • A Comparison of "An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" Pages: 5 (1344 words)
  • With the turn of the seasons and summer rainfall upon us we Pages: 2 (590 words)

Composed Upon Westminster Bridge And London Comparison

  • International
  • Schools directory
  • Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search

Model Answer: Comparing 'Tissue' and 'London'

Model Answer: Comparing 'Tissue' and 'London'

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

thomasd0 resources

Last updated

21 June 2020

  • Share through email
  • Share through twitter
  • Share through linkedin
  • Share through facebook
  • Share through pinterest

london poem comparison essay

A detailed, high-level model answer comparing ‘Tissue’ and ‘London’.

All essays receive a grade and a very detailed commentary analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the answer. This enables students to identify good practice and techniques to implement in their work. Answers should also act as a source of inspiration for students introduce them to different responses to the text.

All answers were written by a high attaining GCSE age student under exam conditions. Therefore, the answers are not expected to be perfect but realistic representations of what can be achieved during a GCSE exam.

This resource has been targeted at the AQA specification but will still be useful to all GCSE English Literature students.

Check out the rest of the series and other great resources in my Tes Shop.

Any Enquires: Email – [email protected]

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 44%

A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

Power and Conflict - Model Answers Complete Collection

This is a detailed set of 9 model answer on the 'Power and Conflict' poetry. The answers included in this bundle are: * Ozymandias and My Last Duchess * Tissue and London * Bayonet Charge and Remains * Exposure and Charge of the Light Brigade * London and Checking Out Me History * Ozymandias and The Prelude * The Emigree and Storm on the Island * The Prelude and Kamikaze * War Photographer and Poppies All essays receive a grade and a very detailed commentary analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the answer. This enables students to identify good practice and techniques to implement in their work. Answers should also act as a source of inspiration for students introduce them to different responses to the text. All answers were written by a high attaining GCSE age student under exam conditions. Therefore, the answers are not expected to be perfect but realistic representations of what can be achieved during a GCSE exam. This resource has been targeted at the AQA specification but will still be useful to all GCSE English Literature students. This is the complete collection, comprimising all of the answers from both bundle 1 and bundle 2, for a discounted price. Check out the rest of the series and other great resources in my Tes Shop. Any Enquires: Email - [email protected]

Power and Conflict - Poetry Anthology: Model Answers 2

A detailed set of 4 model answer on the power and conflict poetry anthology. The answers included in this bundle are: * Ozymandias and My Last Duchess * Tissue and London * Bayonet Charge and Remains * London and Checking Out Me History This allows students to understand how to structure their arguments to achieve full marks. At the end of the essay is the mark as well as a detailed comment analysing the student’s strengths and weaknesses. This enables students to understand what parts of the essay have been so successful. This resource has been written for AQA, but will be useful to all students studying the poems from power and conflict. This is bundle 1 and offers excellent value for money. Check out the rest of the series and other great resources in my Tes Shop. Any Enquires: Email - [email protected]

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

Marked by Teachers

  • TOP CATEGORIES
  • AS and A Level
  • University Degree
  • International Baccalaureate
  • Uncategorised
  • 5 Star Essays
  • Study Tools
  • Study Guides
  • Meet the Team
  • English Literature
  • William Blake

Compare and Contrast the two poems, 'London' and 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge'

Authors Avatar

Compare and Contrast the two poems, ‘London’ and

 ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’

Both of the poets write about London in their poems. There is one big difference between the form and the structure ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’ is written in the form of a sonnet where as the ‘London’ poem is just a four verse poem, each verse having four lines.

        Comparing the poems with one another I first picked up that they are equally written from first person perspectives which helps to express that these are the writer’s real thoughts and feelings of the great city. Blake doesn’t concentrate on the general scene: Like the buildings or the natural landscapes, He sees beyond all this and he thinks of the people who live there. He explains how everyone is sad and hopelessly depressed, he points out the prostitutes have no other means of earning money than to sell themselves and how the soldiers have to put their lives on the line whenever the king decides. He makes it interesting as he uses a lot of repetition in each stanza to emphasize his views, ‘‘in every cry of every man, in every cry of infants fear, in every voice, in every ban’’. Five uses of the word every in three lines symbolize that he wants a point to be put across to the reader. It draws more attention to what is different. In the phrase, he speaks of a black church saying God does not help people with their pointless lives.

Join now!

This is a preview of the whole essay

        When Wordsworth does concentrate on the scene of buildings and rivers and the nature of the weather. He feels very strongly about the city being man-made and better than anything natural. This poet pays a lot of attention to detail. ‘‘All bright and glittering in the smokeless air’’ he notices everything there is to know about the elegant city. London is a calm and quiet city in the early hours of the morning, all is well with the world, its harmonious and clean. A lot of personification is used in this poem in contrast to the other. For example, ‘‘ the very houses seem asleep’’. He also refers to the city as ‘he’ and also on the River Thames when he says ‘‘the river glideth at his own sweet will’’.

        Blake’s poem is very angry and noisy in comparison to wordsworth’s which is calm and quiet. Blake also seems far more critical  with the hurried rhythm that shows his anger, this is also shown in the parallelism of the second stanza.

        Back to the point of Wordsworth’s love for the city, London means everything to him and as though it is the heart of the world, it says this when in the last he calls London ‘‘that mighty heart’’. It seems Wordsworth is looking at the city from afar and doesn’t know all the hidden truths and goings on between the city walls when Blake knows the bitter truth of sickness and poverty among many of London’s population.

        Wordsworth uses verbs that are very peaceful like, ‘lie’ and ‘glideth’. Blake’s however are violent and aggressive like, ‘cry’, ‘fear’, ‘curse’, ‘blasts’ and ‘plagues’.

Another thing I recognized whilst reading through these very different poems is that Blake works on conscience more, more perception than Wordsworth. Wordsworth has a marvelous eye for beauty, he expresses this when he describes the small delicate things of a natural form.

`To conclude, in my opinion Wordsworth has a more cheerful mind and doesn’t always trying to think of an excuse for everything unlike Blake who is very negative. I found it far more relaxing without all the chaotic happenings that Blake was trying to express which made it a more enjoyable poem to read.  

Compare and Contrast the two poems, 'London' and 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge'

Document Details

  • Word Count 628
  • Page Count 2
  • Subject English

Related Essays

Compare and contrast 'London' and 'Composed upon Westminster Bridge'.

Compare and contrast 'London' and 'Composed upon Westminster Bridge'.

Compare and Contrast the Images Of London in Blake's 'London' And Wordsworth's 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge '

Compare and Contrast the Images Of London in Blake's 'London' And Wordswort...

Comparing 'London' and 'Composed Upon Westminster bridge'

Comparing 'London' and 'Composed Upon Westminster bridge'

Compare and contrast Blake's 'London' to Wordsworth 'composed upon Westminster Bridge'.

Compare and contrast Blake's 'London' to Wordsworth 'composed upon Westmins...

COMMENTS

  1. Why I love…Comparing Ozymandias and London

    The full essay is below: Ozymandias by Blake and London by Shelley are both poems which reveal the corrupting influence of power. Both poets reflect on power as something that creates a sense of entitlement or arrogance, as a way to make those lacking in power suffer and to show that ultimately power and status is meaningless in the long term ...

  2. London

    Expertise. English. Each poetry anthology in the GCSE contains 15 poems, and in the poetry question in the exam, you will be given one poem on the paper - printed in full - and asked to compare this given poem to one other from the anthology. As this is a "closed book" exam, you will not have access to the other poems, so you will have to ...

  3. London vs Ozymandias

    London criticises the upper class. The poem is used as a response to the Industrial Revolution. Acts as a fierce critique of humankind failure to build a proper society. Overall comparison. Both emphasis the impact of mankinds failure to use power and authority for the right reasons and not for status or greed.

  4. How to plan: Comparing 'Ozymandias' and 'London'

    Learn how to write a high-quality essay on AQA GCSE Power and Conflict Poetry with this video tutorial. You will get tips on how to plan, structure and compare poems, as well as examples of ...

  5. Ozymandias London

    Essay comparing Ozymandias and London both and while focused on different things, were written at roughly the same time. they both also focus on earthly power, Skip to document. ... poem. In 'London', the writer wants the reader to feel a close and personal connection to the subject and the characters of the poem. The poem is directly

  6. A Comparison of London by William Blake and Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe

    This essay compares two poems, "London" by William Blake, and "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Both writers were very romantic, heavily influenced by the revolutionary ideas and rapidly changing social and political values of the late 18 th and early 19 th century.

  7. Comparative Poetry Essay: Both London by William Blake and Composed

    In this essay I will compare two great poems, both written by well known poets. The two poems are: "London" written by William Blake and the other "Composed upon Westminster Bridge" written by William Wordsworth. Both poems have a similar theme which is linked to the capital city 'London', these poets also come from similar backgrounds.

  8. A Comparison of Poems About London Essay

    London, by Blake is a poem rather than a sonnet, composed of four stanzas, each containing four lines. This effect breaks up the poem and helps to give a very plodding, interrupted tone. The rhymes however are consistent, every other line rhymes. This can represent the regimented, predictable nature, reflected in the industry and mechanisation.

  9. Comparing Ozymandias to London

    AQA English Literature Power and Conflict PoetryStructure LanguageExample responseaqa, gcse, revision, power and conflict, community, lipson, star, english l...

  10. GCSE English Poetry Level 9 Model Essay- 'London' vs. 'Checking out me

    An exceptional-quality poetical comparison essay written by a level 9 GCSE Student in accordance with the AQA English Literature syllabus. This essay has been marked as level 9. The resource is also suitable for other exam boards such as Edexcel and OCR. 'London' by Blake is compared with 'Checking out me History' by Agard on the theme ...

  11. Compare and contrast "London" by Blake and "Composed upon Westminster

    Get an answer for 'Compare and contrast "London" by Blake and "Composed upon Westminster Bridge" by Wordsworth.' and find homework help for other Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3 ...

  12. comparison of two poems about london by William Wordsworth and William

    In this essay I will be comparing two poems about London, one by William Wordsworth that was written upon Westminster Bridge and the other by William Blake called London, both of these poems have a very different view of the goings on of London. William Wordsworth has a tourist's very positive view of London but William Blake as a Londoner ...

  13. London Poem Comparison Essay Examples

    Browse essays about London Poem Comparison and find inspiration. Learn by example and become a better writer with Kibin's suite of essay help services. Essay Examples

  14. A Comparison and Contrast of "Ozymandias" and "London ...

    A Comparison and Contrast of "Ozymandias" and "London" and the Theme of Morality. This essay compares and contrasts the theme of morality within "Ozymandias" by Percy Shelley and "London" by William Blake. This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

  15. London and My Last Duchess: GCSE Poetry Comparison and Sample Essay

    Compare this with one other poem of your choice ( My Last Duchess ). In London by William Blake and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning, both poets delve into the theme of the abuse of power. While Blake focuses on the misuse of power by individuals in "palaces" and "churches" through his depiction of London, Browning presents a personal ...

  16. COMPARISON Essay RESPONSE

    Compare the presentation of power in 'London' to 'Ozymandias.' The essay response in this resource covers all aspects needed for a grade 8/9 answer. More specifically, AO1 (Textual References), AO2 (Language, Form & Structure) and AO3 (Context).

  17. Composed Upon Westminster Bridge And London Comparison

    Essay Sample: Comparison between "London" by William Blake and "Composed Upon Westminster Bridge" by William Wordsworth The city of London has inspired many poets. ... Both poems are set near London's famous Thames River. "London" begins with an attack on the new Capitalism of the 1700s in the lines, 'I wander through each ...

  18. A Comparison of 'London' and 'Composed upon Westminster Bridge'

    Wordsworth was obviously in awe of London, because he is admiring everything around him. He has centred his poem on the success and beauty of the city, whereas William Blake's poem describes the horrid and dirty scenes that are to be seen in London. Blake's poem has a set rhyme scheme of a b a b and 16 lines with eight syllables in each.

  19. A Comparison of of London by William Blake and the Emigree by ...

    Compare the poet's feelings towards a place in 'The Emigrée' and one other poem In The Emigrée and London, we see different emotions portrayed by the poet to particular locations. In The Emigrée the poet reminds herself of the good old days in the country she lived and was brought up in dur...

  20. Comparison of Poems about London by William Wordsworth and William

    Wordsworth's romantic, beautiful and optimistic description of London is very different to Blake's highly critical and pessimistic writing about London. Blake's poem is not as much about London itself than about the people living in it. Wordsworth's sonnet, on the other hand, is not about the people, but is about the city.

  21. Model Answer: Comparing 'Tissue' and 'London'

    Resource type: Assessment and revision. File previews. docx, 26.44 KB. A detailed, high-level model answer comparing 'Tissue' and 'London'. All essays receive a grade and a very detailed commentary analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the answer. This enables students to identify good practice and techniques to implement in their work.

  22. Comparing Tissue and London Flashcards

    Two comparison points. Both are criticising power. Tissues offers a solution London does not. London: criticising power. Repetition of 'charter'd' which is also showing frustration because of those in power. 1st usage could be because the property around the speaker is owned by the government. Repetition is ironic it is forcing the human power ...

  23. Compare and Contrast the two poems, 'London' and 'Composed Upon

    ''All bright and glittering in the smokeless air'' he notices everything there is to know about the elegant city. London is a calm and quiet city in the early hours of the morning, all is well with the world, its harmonious and clean. A lot of personification is used in this poem in contrast to the other. For example, '' ...