Keats and Blake alike are few in a long list of influential Romantic poets who defined a generation. Two of their poems, ‘To Autumn’ and ‘London’ respectively both share the similar quality of being ‘deceptively’ simple in structure, but strewed within their rigid and formulaic structure, are layers and layers of symbolism and allegory. Though at a first glance, there is quite a lot separating the two distinct poems, but as pieces of thought-provoking, and personal literature, how well do both of these poems convey the true thoughts and feelings of either poet.
London on the surface of things is a typically written poem. It consists of four quartets, with an ABAB rhyme scheme, the poem is almost written like a “Song of Experience”, which is heavily contrasted by the dark theme that is prevalent in the poem. Blake also uses common and everyday language, however some would say that Blake’s deliberate use of simple language represents what Blake saw in London as a limited group of people with a restriction of resources. Repetition is the most striking formal feature of the poem, and it serves to …show more content…
Blake is extremely critical of the way London is run, but there is an element of criticism towards those who are living in the city and their “mind forged manacles”, which in essence calls for Londoners to break away from their ‘mental shackles’ and break free from the routine which plagues the city. His words are revolutionary almost as he speaks not only of anger, but an innate care for London as a city. Keats’s method of developing the poem is to heap up imagery typical of autumn. His autumn is early autumn, when all the products of nature have reached a state of perfect maturity. Autumn is personified and is perceived in a state of activity. In the first stanza, autumn is a friendly conspirator working with the sun to bring fruits to a state of perfect fullness and
London on the surface of things is a typically written poem. It consists of four quartets, with an ABAB rhyme scheme, the poem is almost written like a “Song of Experience”, which is heavily contrasted by the dark theme that is prevalent in the poem. Blake also uses common and everyday language, however some would say that Blake’s deliberate use of simple language represents what Blake saw in London as a limited group of people with a restriction of resources. Repetition is the most striking formal feature of the poem, and it serves to …show more content…
Blake is extremely critical of the way London is run, but there is an element of criticism towards those who are living in the city and their “mind forged manacles”, which in essence calls for Londoners to break away from their ‘mental shackles’ and break free from the routine which plagues the city. His words are revolutionary almost as he speaks not only of anger, but an innate care for London as a city. Keats’s method of developing the poem is to heap up imagery typical of autumn. His autumn is early autumn, when all the products of nature have reached a state of perfect maturity. Autumn is personified and is perceived in a state of activity. In the first stanza, autumn is a friendly conspirator working with the sun to bring fruits to a state of perfect fullness and