London, 1802
By William Wordsworth
Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour:
England hath need of thee: she is a fen
Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,
Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,
Have forfeited their ancient English dower
Of inward happiness. We are selfish men;
Oh! raise us up, return to us again;
And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power.Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart:
Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea:
Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free,
So didst thou travel on life’s common way,
In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart
The lowliest duties on herself did lay.
Summary of London, 1802
- Popularity of “London, 1802”: The poem ‘London, 1802’ was written by William Wordsworth, a great English poet, and an author. This melancholy poem appeared in his collection Two Volumes in 1807. The poem talks about the iconic poet and writer John Milton. It also explains how the people of London have lost their originality following the changing patterns of the world. The poet’s depiction of two different London cities makes this poetic piece a powerful one.
- “London, 1802” As a Representative of Sorrow: This poet recollects the memory of John Milton, one of the established poets of history. At the start of the event, the speaker passionately implores Milton to return, emphasizing the pressing need for an intellectual of his caliber in England during this critical period. The city has lost its ancient charm; the people have become selfish and mean. They have lost all their manners and virtues. According to him, he firmly believes that Milton should return and impart manners, virtues, power, and freedom to these individuals. He views Milton as a great poet who seems in tune with God and nature. He thinks that Milton possesses all the qualities a nation’s leader should have, and only he can restore the lost spirit of London. Therefore, he wants this Great Spirit to revert and change the ugly face of his city.
- Major Themes in “London, 1802”: Admiration, imagination versus reality, and patriotism are the major themes of the poem. The speaker’s patriotism reflects throughout the poem. He is unsatisfied with the present state of his place, thinking that the church, the military, and legal establishments have lost their direction and actual meanings. To him, only Milton can change the fortune of the city. Therefore, he urges him to come back and redirect his people to the righteous path.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in London, 1802
literary devices permit writers to choose their words to create their unique styles. William Wordsworth used some literary devices in the poem whose analysis is as follows.
- Allusion: It means to allude to some event, persona or incident of historical importance such as Wordsworth has alluded to Milton as well as England.
- Apostrophe: This literary device means to call somebody or idea such as the poet has called Milton saying “Milton! Thou shouldst be living at this hour.”
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /ee/ in “In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart” and the sound of /i/ in “Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour”.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ and the sound lf /l/ in “The lowliest duties on herself did lay” and the sound of /z/ and /d/ in “Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea”.
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example,
“In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart
The lowliest duties on herself did lay.”
- Hyperbole: Hyperbole is a device used to exaggerate any statement for the sake of emphasis. Wordsworth exaggerates about the condition of England, such as, “England hath need of thee: she is a fen”.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. William Wordsworth used imagery in this poem such as “Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart”, “Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour” and “Have forfeited their ancient English dower”.
- Personification: Personification is to give human qualities to inanimate objects. The poet has personified the England throughout the poem such as,
“England hath need of thee: she is a fen
Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen.”
- Simile: It is a device used to compare something with something else to make the meanings clear to the readers. Wordsworth has used this device at many places in the poem, such as “Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart” and “Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea.” The use of the word “like” shows that these two are similes used for comparison.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. The expression “forfeited their ancient English dower” symbolizes changing attitude of the people of England.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in London, 1802
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- End Rhyme: End Rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. William Wordsworth has used end rhyme in this poem such as; “fen/pen”, “way/lay” and “sea/free.”
- Octave: An octave is an eight lined stanza derived from Italian poetry. The poem contains only one octave.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows ABBAABBA and CDDECE rhyme scheme.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. It is a fourteen lined poem with no stanza break in it but two parts; a sestet and an octave.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “London, 1802” are useful to quote when talking about great persons who have done great deeds in the past,
“Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart:
Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea:
Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free,
So didst thou travel on life’s common way,
In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart
The lowliest duties on herself did lay.”
