Capital of England, London conjures up an image of an active city with unrivalled activity, but in Blake's poem "London" we get a different view. Written in 18th century London through an omnipotent voice the poem gives the reader a different perception of London. Born in London himself the speaker could easily be Blake. The speaker is familiar with the surroundings of London, maybe so familiar that the impression given to us of this cosmopolitan is one of sameness.
             The first verse tells us that the poem is spoken by someone wandering the streets of London. He is an observer and watcher. He records what he sees and tells nothing about himself. He seems to have no identity.
             The first two lines indicate the feeling of sameness in London. The streets of London and the river Thames are both described by the word "charter'd". Both the streets and the Thames convey images of bustling activity, much trade and constant mobility. The speaker though feels that they only merely deserve to be described by the one word, "charter'd".
             The word is ambivalent; he uses the word cleverly to describe London as a planned and constrictive city. London was mapped out into trading districts at the time. He may be referring here to London as a great commercial city. The Thames was a great working river. Being all trade, London may constrict any other kind of life in London. It also may constrict peoples minds and their ability to think as individuals as money is the sole function of the brain in 18th century London. He may also be suggesting that people are slaves to the money just like the orphan children are in his other poems to their "grey headed beadles".
             The second image Blake uses is of the people in this indistinguishable city. Again "every face" the speaker sees "marks of weakness, marks of woe". He emphasises the point of London being the "city of sameness" here.
             We can interpret those lines in a di...