For a contemporary audience, ‘London’ reflects the ideas and experiences of William Blake that would be more difficult to comprehend in modern times. ‘London’ is part of the collection ‘Songs of Experience’ and is therefore seen as a negative and disillusioning poem. This negative view of London is intensified by Blake’s personal feelings at the time, perhaps spurred on by his disgust towards the French revolution, which occurred just before this poem was written. This outrage, mixed with his disappointment with the Church’s lack of help towards its people, created a view of the world that was much darker than the general conception of London at the time. Similarly, these days, many can only understand this gothic view of London through his poem, and only appreciate the reasons why he thought the city was in this state by reading through his writing.

William Blake had the idea that the Church was responsible for the dire condition of England by not reaching out and helping the people, and this is expressed particularly in the third stanza. London is described as being inhabited by ‘hapless’ ‘Infant’s’ and ‘Chimney-sweepers’; in other words children in desperate need of help. This immediately creates sympathy within the audience and allows them to demand a reason as to why they are not being helped. The reason he gives for the state of these children is that the ‘black’ning Church’ is not giving aid. The Church at this time was traditionally an integral part of life and the idea that it could be corrupt would have shocked the majority of the audience. This not only gives the poem a greater impact on it’s reader, but it also allowed William Blake to express his outrage in a way that would make the audience sympathize the most with him. His ideas would otherwise have been criticized, but by using the idea of children in danger, his views would have connected with the readers who would have otherwise discredited his concern. So this is a key example of how his poem allows him to express his ideas in a way that people would understand and consider. Logically, it would have had a great impact on any Christians at the time who read his poem.

The use of particular words also gives a greater appreciation of his experience in London, and creates a sense of urgency that would otherwise remain unrealized. The fact that he see’s such ‘woe’ in ‘each charter’d street’ shows how this despair is evident everywhere; London is in the worst possible state it could be. This idea is emphasized by the fact he see’s ‘marks of weakness’ in ‘every face’ as well. So not only is the city itself in a critical condition, but also the people. When others walked around the city of London, it is unlikely they would have paid such attention to every person and every street and ‘London’ therefore would have highlighted this experience that others may have otherwise not noticed. So Blake’s experience describes the city in such detail that it informs others of the atrocities they would find difficult to notice on a daily basis.

The imagery of death and disease are maintained throughout the poem. It presents horrific experiences of the lower classes that particularly nowadays, in a time of medical efficiency, would be difficult to comprehend. The references to ‘blood’ and ‘plagues’ portray the idea that the City is being attacked or ill, and is dying as a result. This image is furthered by the way there is a ‘cry’ from ‘every man’, infant or even Harlot. Death seems to be occurring in every corner of the city and this adds to the urgency that Blake appears to be presenting the situation with. This disease that is infecting the city seems to be affecting the very existence of London’s inhabitants; even marriage, generally a joyful experience in life, is linked with a ‘hearse’, implying that every aspect in life is infected. This image relates to Blake’s personal experience of walking through London, and appeals to the Church and Monarchy; claiming something must be done to save the people. He blames the Monarchy for hiding behind ‘Palace walls’ and choosing to ignore the hapless state of Londoners. This is another example of how he expresses his ideas and experiences through his poem, as insulting the Monarchy in a more direct way would have had serious consequences for himself, and would not have allowed him to reach so many people.

Blake’s experience of the industrial revolution is perhaps the idea that is most difficult to understand, as generally it was conceived to be a positive event in history. At the time, economy would have grown as a whole and particularly the higher classes would have benefitted from the rise of technology. However Blake directly criticizes the Industrial revolution and labels it as another factor that contributes to the despair he has experienced. The ‘charter’d Thames’ appears to be a key part of this problem; he insinuates that the river is overburdened with trade and this is affecting life around it. He identifies this trade as a significant problem and the fact that it occurs on the Thames is also important. The River Thames flows through the center of London and could be seen as the heart of the city. If there is a problem with the heart, the rest of the body will become weak as a result. Blake’s criticism of the increase in trade would have been difficult for many to understand, as it affected many people’s lives in a positive way. However by using the rest of his poem to explain the problems in London, it allows many to consider and relate to his ideas.

In conclusion, it seems that Blake had many strong opinions based on his experience of walking through London. He believed the city to be in a dire and critical state, and used imagery of death and disease to present this view in a way that would have shocked the audience. Illness and death are factors of life that everyone has to deal with, and by using this imagery, it brings to life his ideas in a physical sense that affects the audience powerfully. He claims his negative experience can be avoided if powers such as the Church and the Monarchy would aid the citizens of London, and this would have given a sense of expectation to the audience that would have pressurized the Church particularly. So by writing this poem, Blake was not only trying to connect with his audience, but he was trying to influence society to change and support the lower classes. He was literally trying to bring his ideas to life; to physically change the state of London by pressuring the Church and Monarchy to act for the good of the country.