Here “marriage hearse” is an apparent contradiction and is a figure of speech known as
an oxymoron
.
What technique is marriage hearse?
It “plagues” it, so to speak. This is why the speaker uses the
semi-oxymoronic
phrase “marriage Hearse.” We associate marriage with children, life, union.
Is Marriage Hearse an oxymoron?
In the last stanza, the phrase “Marriage hearse” is a kind
of oxymoron
, or a joining of contrasts. The idea behind this phrase is that the infant is born to a mother who is a prostitute and curses her newborn child.
Why is the oxymoron marriage hearse used?
That final image – the oxymoron of the ‘Marriage hearse' (hearses are for funerals, not weddings) – appears to mean that
the young unmarried mother's unwanted child, and the misery of both mother and infant alike, is the final nail in the coffin of the idea of marriage as a sacred union which is associated not only
…
Which technique is used in the quotation and blights with plagues the marriage hearse?
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.”
Imagery
: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “I wander thro' each charter'd street”, “How the Chimney-sweepers cry” and “Runs in blood down Palace walls.”
What does blights with plagues mean?
And blights with plagues
the Marriage hearse
. The meaning of these three lines seems to be this. If men consort with prostitutes (harlots) they are very likely to pick up sexually transmitted diseases. The most common and most terrible of these diseases was syphilis, which was incurable.
What is theme of the poem?
Theme is
the lesson or message of the poem
. Does the poem have something to say about life or human nature? That message would be the theme, and there can be more than one theme for a single poem, even something as short as ‘We Real Cool'! … Examine the poem carefully.
Is London a dramatic monologue?
Dramatic Monologue London is written with a first
–
person speaker speaking passionately about what he sees and experiences, combined with simple language in an almost conversational tone.
Why does Blake repeat?
In this poem, Blake criticizes religious and governmental authority. … So, in the second stanza, Blake repeats “every”
to emphasize how every person is controlled and manipulated by their governmental and religious leaders
.
Is London a sonnet?
Analysis. “London, 1802” is a
Petrarchan sonnet
with a rhyme scheme of abba abba cdd ece. The poem is written in the second person and addresses the late poet John Milton, who lived from 1608–1674 and is most famous for having written Paradise Lost.
What does Charter d mean?
In William Blake's poem “London,” the word “charter'd” refers to
physical barriers, such as streets and the River Thames
. But figuratively, it alludes to the mental barriers imposed by the city upon the minds of those who live there.
How the chimney sweepers cry?
In this stanza ‘the chimney sweepers cry every blackening church appals' provide an association which reveals the speakers attitude. The money is spent on churches while the children live in poverty,
forced to clean chimneys
– the soot from which blackens the church walls.
What was written on the door of Garden of Love?
Over the door, a forbidding message reads
“Thou shalt not.
” The speaker then looks back over the garden, which used to be full of beautiful flowers. Now, though, the garden is full of graves.
What does every Blackning Church appalls?
Metaphor used to attack Church – “Every Blackening Church appalls” –
Church indirectly responsible- black with soot of chimney sweepers
. appalling with fear (go pale with fear) – IRONIC.
What does and the hapless soldiers sigh mean?
The use of the soldiers creates an imagery of war. The “hapless soldier's sigh” symbolize
how men are drafted into war and have no choice but to serve their country.
What is the central theme of the poem London?
The overall theme of “London” is that
the city is a dark and miserable place
. Words like “hapless,” “weakness,” “woe” and “manacles” contribute to that sense of gloom. Even descriptions like “Every blackning Church” and “thro' midnight streets” quite clearly depict a darkness.
