With close reference to the text and to historical, social and literary background compare Blake’s “London” to Wordsworth’s “Composed upon Westminster Bridge”.

The poems “Composed upon Westminster Bridge” by William Wordsworth (1770-1850) and “London” By William Blake (1757-1827) have the same subject: London. Although both poems cover the same subject, the subject’s approach is totally different: while Wordsworth shows the appearances and gives a positive view of London, Blake shows the hard reality and gives a very negative view.
Blake’s “London” is part of a collection of poems named “Songs of Innocence and of Experience” and published in 1794. Blake aimed to show the “Two Contrary of the Human Soul”. It is divided in two parts: “The Songs of Innocence” is positive and celebrates love, childhood and nature. On the other hand, “Songs of Experience” illustrates the effect of modern life on people and nature. Blake explores topics such as child labour, prostitution, industrial conditions and poverty.
Both poems, “London” and “Composed upon Westminster Bridge”, have the same subject: London. They describe the city of London in the late 18th century, early 19th century. At this time, the town was not as extended as it is today. The countryside still surrounds the centre of London. This is why William Wordsworth in his poem speaks of “valley, rock, or hill”. In addition, Westminster Bridge, where he composed the poem, is in an area of the town that is less densely built. But London is already a busy town full of noises and din as William Blake describes it in his poem “In every infant’s cry of fear”.
In the poem “London”, Blake describes the suffering of the Londoners. The bad conditions faced by people causes them to decay physically and morally. In these days, the life conditions were terrible. There was a lack of hygiene and children were forced to work, for instance one of Blake’s verses speaks of chimney-sweepers “How the chimney-sweeper’s cry”. Children