London: Plot

“London: Plot”

• This poem presents London as a place of rampant misery and moral decay.
• The speaker wanders through the streets of London, observing the despair and desperation that prevails.
• Observations are made of the expressions on people’s faces, indicating widespread unhappiness.
• The poem notes the “every cry” and “every voice” signifying the omnipresent suffering in the city.
• The poem further hints at child labor and the exploitation of the vulnerable with reference to ‘the chimney-sweeper’s cry.’
• It delves into institutional sources of despair, such as overreaching authority of the church and monarchy.
• The poem concludes with potent imagery of harlots, disease, and ruined marriage vows symbolizing the pervasive moral corruption.

Sections of London in Focus

Faces of People

• The speaker reads the signs of suffering in the faces of individuals.
• The expressions of “weakness” and “woe” convey the rampant distress in the city.

Sounds in the City

• The cries of men and infants alike depict a picture of universal hardship and agony.

Institutional sources of despair

• Crises are brought about by institutions like the Church and monarchy, suggesting misuse of authority.

Child Labour

• The mention of ‘the chimney-sweeper’s cry’ brings attention to the exploitation of the helpless.

Moral Corruption

• The final image of the harlot, disease, and ruined marriage vows drives home the depth of dysfunction and immorality prevalent in society.

Keywords: Suffering, Despair, Authority, Exploitation, Corruption