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Blake's 1794 poem about a walk through a city where everyone is trapped. Four stanzas, no relief.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
A short poem from Songs of Experience in which the speaker walks through London and finds suffering in every face and every institution.
A standard anthology poem in the Power and Conflict cluster.
Where it applies
English Literature poetry anthology, usually in comparison.
How it works
The form is relentless: four regular quatrains, ABAB, insistent rhythm — a form that will not let up, matching a city that offers no escape.
"Chartered" is the key word, applied even to the Thames: a river that has been bought and mapped. The repetition of "mark" shifts from verb to noun, so noticing becomes branding.
"Mind-forg'd manacles" is the poem's argument: the chains are partly made by the people wearing them, which is bleaker than blaming the powerful alone.
How to use it in your work
Write about repetition doing structural work — "every" four times in one stanza is not decoration.
Blake attacks specific institutions: church, monarchy, marriage. Name them rather than saying he criticises society.
Pairs well with Ozymandias on power, and with anything on cities or oppression.
Where to get help
Your teacher, first — set texts vary by board and by school, and yours is the one that counts. Your board's past papers and examiners' reports are free online and say plainly what separates the bands.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- London Blake's poem, line by line.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.