London

poem by Blake

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June 30, 2026

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"London" is a poem by William Blake, first published in his collection Songs of Experience in 1794. The poem is a critical commentary on the social and political conditions of London during Blake's time. It depicts the city as a place of suffering, poverty, and oppression, with Blake observing "marks of woe" on the faces of its inhabitants and hearing "mind-forg'd manacles" in their voices.1

William Blake (1757–1827) was an English engraver, artist, and poet. He developed a unique method of "illuminated printing," where he etched both text and illustrations onto copper plates. His works, including Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, explore themes of innocence, experience, and the human soul's contrary states. Blake is considered a significant figure of the Romantic movement, though he was largely unrecognized during his lifetime.23

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William Blake
Blake as a poet
In “London” the speaker, shown in the design as blind, bearded, and “age-bent,” sees in “every face…marks of woe,” and observes that “In every voice…The mind-forg’d manacles I hear.” In “The Tyger,” which answers “The Lamb” of Innocence, the despairing speaker asks the “Tyger burning bright”…
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In “London” the speaker, shown in the design as blind, bearded, and “age-bent,” sees in “every face…marks of woe,” and observes that “In every voice…The mind-forg’d manacles I hear.” In “The Tyger,” which answers “The Lamb” of Innocence, the despairing speaker asks the “Tyger burning bright”…
Read More