This introduction covers Setting the Scene 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 1 of 15 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📖 Setting the Scene
Picture Blake walking the streets of London in 1794. He is not sightseeing. In every face he passes he sees the same thing: misery. He hears it in a baby's cry, in a soldier's sigh, in a young prostitute's curse. And the streets themselves, even the River Thames, are "chartered" — bought, owned, mapped out by those in power. Blake is about to argue that this suffering is not bad luck. It is built into the system.
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)