1. ‘London’ by William Blake
To be able to comment on structural features and poetic devices in a poem
To be able to respond creatively to a poem through analysis paragraphs
To identify the meaning of a poem through close language analysis
LO: To be able to effectively respond to a poetry exam question
‘London’
by William Blake

2. What do you think Rousseau is saying in this quotation?
To be able to comment on structural features and poetic devices in a poem
To be able to respond creatively to a poem through analysis paragraphs
To identify the meaning of a poem through close language analysis
LO: To be able to effectively respond to a poetry exam question
What do you think Rousseau is saying in this quotation?

3. Contextual Information:
To be able to comment on structural features and poetic devices in a poem
To be able to respond creatively to a poem through analysis paragraphs
To identify the meaning of a poem through close language analysis
LO: To be able to effectively respond to a poetry exam question
Contextual Information:
‘London’ was written in 1794, as part of a collection of poems entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience. William Blake lived in London at the time of the Industrial Revolution when the city was expanding, and also at a time of political unrest. Wealth and poverty existed side by side.

4. To be able to comment on structural features and poetic devices in a poem
To be able to respond creatively to a poem through analysis paragraphs
To identify the meaning of a poem through close language analysis
LO: To be able to effectively respond to a poetry exam question
Tasked with ‘London’
Read through your copy of the poem.
Add any annotations that you can; do any words/phrases catch your attention? Why do you think that is?
Complete your exploration sheet. Add any of these notes to your copy of the poem too.

5. To be able to comment on structural features and poetic devices in a poem
To be able to respond creatively to a poem through analysis paragraphs
To identify the meaning of a poem through close language analysis
LO: To be able to effectively respond to a poetry exam question
Explore the ways in which Blake presents London as a nightmarish place within the poem. You must refer to language and context within your response.

6. LO: To be able to effectively respond to a poetry exam question
To be able to comment on structural features and poetic devices in a poem
To be able to respond creatively to a poem through analysis paragraphs
To identify the meaning of a poem through close language analysis
LO: To be able to effectively respond to a poetry exam question
Having read Blake’s poem, what do you now consider the significance of this quotation to be?

7. To be able to comment on structural features and poetic devices in a poem
To be able to respond creatively to a poem through analysis paragraphs
To identify the meaning of a poem through close language analysis
LO: To be able to effectively respond to a poetry exam question
To summarise…
Key theme:
Dangerous industrial conditions, child labour and prostitution.
- Lack of freedom, and suffering
Key vocabulary:
Chartered: A deed giving someone the right to own land.
Manacles: Handcuffs.
Harlot: Prostitute.
Key features:
Ballad form, four verses, iambic pentameter with rhyming couplets – a traditional English verse form.
Powerful imagery designed to shock.
Repetition of key words/phrases.
You could compare ‘London’ to:

8. Homework
Research the context of the poem London. Industrial revolution Blake himself 2-4 paragraphs will suffice – write it out in your books, or print off and stick in. Don’t just copy and paste!!