William Blake's "London" portrays a city plagued by social injustice and oppression. The poem critiques societal structures, highlighting the suffering of the poor and the corruption of institutions. Mind-forged manacles symbolize self-imposed mental limitations that keep people trapped in their social conditions.
- Blake uses powerful imagery to depict widespread misery
- The poem criticizes the monarchy, church, and class system
- Repetition of words like "cry" emphasizes pervasive suffering
- Symbols of innocence (infants, chimney sweepers) represent corruption of the vulnerable
- The poet calls for social revolution and change