London

"In every cry of every man,
In every Infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
the mind-forged manacles I hear."
"London"
William Blake


The primary purpose of this poem is to portray the dark side of London. Despite the breath-taking sites like Big Ben and Buckinghman Palace, London also has a not so glamorous side. Blake is showing us that during the day, London may appear beautiful, but "through midnight streets" [at night], the underlying problems will begin to creep out. This poem has an overall tone of hopelessness. There is the notion that the Soldiers are always left in charge of taking care of the "blood down the Palace walls" or the conflicts occurring within the government. There are "Harlot's" or prostitutes roaming the city, causing plagues upon marriage as well as new-borns. The man walking through London seems to feel that the cause of all these issues are "marks of weakness." The man recognizes despair in every cry of every man, infant, and and in every voice he hears. All of these recognitions make his mind feel overwhelmed, and he concludes that the city surrounding him has numerous issues, which may sometimes be obscured during the day.