This definitions covers Key Terms within London (Blake) for GCSE English Literature. Revise London (Blake) in Power and Conflict Poetry for GCSE English Literature with 10 exam-style questions and 16 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 10 of 15 in this topic. Make sure you can use the exact wording confidently, because definition marks are often lost through vague language.
📖 Key Terms
Anaphora: the repetition of a word at the start of successive lines or clauses (Blake's "every").
Dramatic monologue / first-person speaker: the poem is spoken by a single voice walking the city.
Metaphor: describing one thing as another ("mind-forged manacles" = chains made by the mind).
Pun: a word with two meanings working at once ("chartered" = mapped and owned; "appalls" = horrifies and a funeral pall).
Semantic field: a cluster of words from the same area of meaning — here, restriction and suffering ("manacles", "ban", "chartered", "cry").
Practice questions for London (Blake)
In Blake's poem 'London', what does the word 'chartered' most closely mean?
Identify ONE structural or formal feature Blake uses in 'London' and explain how it contributes to the poem's meaning. (2 marks)