Connotation In London
Imagery, and Meaning of London by William Blake
Name
DeVry University
LTRE 427: Studies in Poetry
July 27, 2014
Words are able to give a poem much more meaning and imagery if used in the correct context. The use of denotation and connotation help poets achieve how its audience perceives a poem. Both tools build imagery; it can give much more meaning to the words and create more than just a poem. In few to little words, a larger story can be told.
Denotation and Connotation
In the poem titled London, the poet William Blake uses many denotations and connotations that stand out to the reader. The word “chartered” is used twice in the first stanza. As a denotation, chartered can mean “a written grant or a certificate of incorporation,” in which an institutions’ rights and privileges are defined (Kennedy, page 74). How the word “chartered” is used, it gives the suggestion or connotation of limitation existing. …show more content…
In the first two lines of London, “I wander through each chartered street, Near where the chartered Thames does flow,” it gives the image of the government restricting the city.
Bringing in the river Thames into the poem also creates the image of restriction. Rivers are restricted to only flow in one direction. Therefore, the government wants its citizens to go by the one law. Another denotation and connotation used in London is with the word “black’ning.” It is used in the third stanza within the first two lines, “How the chimney-sweeper’s cry Every black’ning church appalls.” As a denotation the word black’ning means that it’s becoming or being made black or dark. It also means damaged or destroyed. As a connotation within the poem it means that the church is becoming dark isn’t as pure as it used to
be.
Literal Image
The word “chartered” created an image of restriction. With restriction comes distress and sorrow. In the first stanza, the final two lines creates an image of sadness of the faces the poet sees in the streets, “And mark in every face I meet Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”
Figurative Language
In the third stanza, figurative language is used, “And the hapless soldier’s sigh Runs in blood down palace walls.” This is possible that it means that the government is responsible for deaths. Blood running down the palace walls is not literal; it’s used as a metaphor.
Overall Meaning William Blake’s poem London, is about the restriction he saw the government had over London during the time of the Revolutionary War. With words such as chartered, ban, fear, manacles and blood, the meaning of the poem was set as being dark, confined and sadness over the people that lived within those streets of the city. Everyone (men, women and children) in the city were effected by the war and were confined to their own sadness.
References
Kennedy, X.J. & Gioia, D. (2010). An introduction to poetry (13th ed.).Boston, M.A.: Pearson Longman.
Name
DeVry University
LTRE 427: Studies in Poetry
July 27, 2014
Words are able to give a poem much more meaning and imagery if used in the correct context. The use of denotation and connotation help poets achieve how its audience perceives a poem. Both tools build imagery; it can give much more meaning to the words and create more than just a poem. In few to little words, a larger story can be told.
Denotation and Connotation
In the poem titled London, the poet William Blake uses many denotations and connotations that stand out to the reader. The word “chartered” is used twice in the first stanza. As a denotation, chartered can mean “a written grant or a certificate of incorporation,” in which an institutions’ rights and privileges are defined (Kennedy, page 74). How the word “chartered” is used, it gives the suggestion or connotation of limitation existing. …show more content…
In the first two lines of London, “I wander through each chartered street, Near where the chartered Thames does flow,” it gives the image of the government restricting the city.
Bringing in the river Thames into the poem also creates the image of restriction. Rivers are restricted to only flow in one direction. Therefore, the government wants its citizens to go by the one law. Another denotation and connotation used in London is with the word “black’ning.” It is used in the third stanza within the first two lines, “How the chimney-sweeper’s cry Every black’ning church appalls.” As a denotation the word black’ning means that it’s becoming or being made black or dark. It also means damaged or destroyed. As a connotation within the poem it means that the church is becoming dark isn’t as pure as it used to
be.
Literal Image
The word “chartered” created an image of restriction. With restriction comes distress and sorrow. In the first stanza, the final two lines creates an image of sadness of the faces the poet sees in the streets, “And mark in every face I meet Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”
Figurative Language
In the third stanza, figurative language is used, “And the hapless soldier’s sigh Runs in blood down palace walls.” This is possible that it means that the government is responsible for deaths. Blood running down the palace walls is not literal; it’s used as a metaphor.
Overall Meaning William Blake’s poem London, is about the restriction he saw the government had over London during the time of the Revolutionary War. With words such as chartered, ban, fear, manacles and blood, the meaning of the poem was set as being dark, confined and sadness over the people that lived within those streets of the city. Everyone (men, women and children) in the city were effected by the war and were confined to their own sadness.
References
Kennedy, X.J. & Gioia, D. (2010). An introduction to poetry (13th ed.).Boston, M.A.: Pearson Longman.