“London,” by William Blake
This is a version of the text of “London” published as a part of Songs of Innocence and Experience in 1789 and 1794:
LONDON
I wander thro’ each charter’d street,
Near where the charter’d Thames does flow
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.In every cry of every Man.
In every Infants cry of fear.
In every voice; in every ban.
The mind-forg’d manacles I hearHow the Chimney-sweepers cry
Every blacknng Church appalls.
And the hapless Soldiers sigh
Runs in blood down Palace wallsBut most thro’ midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlots curse
Blasts the new born Infants tear
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse
We’ll discuss how this poem can relate to Pearl in class; but for now, compare the text to the following images from the Blake Archive:
- copy B, object 36 (1789, 1794), the “copy text” for the above text.
- copy C, object 49 (1789, 1794)
- copy F, object 39 (1789, 1794)
- copy A, object 47 (1795)
- copy L, object 51 (1795)
- copy R, object 48 (c. 1797, c. 1808)
- copy V, object 51 (1821)
- copy Y, object 46 (1825)
- copy Z, object 46 (1826)
- copy AA, object 46 (1826)