Suzie McStudent

English Period 1
February 12, 2008
Bitter Sweet

In major cities across the orld, glamour, money, !restige and
o!!ortunity "ourish# $oe%er, in many o& these cities, this is only an outard
a!!earance, hich hides aay the dar'er or dirtier side o& the city# In the
to !oems ()om!osed *!on +est Minster ,ridge,- by +illiam +ordsorth,
and (.ondon-, by +illiam ,la'e, this !henomenon is e/!lored ith the ca!ital
city o& England0 .ondon# 1he 2rst !oem, ()om!osed *!on +est Minster
,ridge,- !ortrays .ondon as a beauti&ul city that ins!ires utmost ae and
res!ect &or the ton# 3n the other hand, the second !oem, (.ondon,-
re%eals the harsh reality o& .ondon4s underbelly, the !ain and the !light o&
the common man# 5 com!arison o& each !oem4s setting, tone, and theme
hel! the reader de%elo! a greater a!!reciation both the !leasures and !ains
o& li&e#
1he 2rst similarity beteen these !oems is their setting# +hile ,la'e4s
(.ondon- e/amines the city in 1678, the year o& the !oem4s !ublication,
+ordsorth e/amines the city less than a decade later in the year 1802#
,oth !oems are set near .ondon4s &amous 1hames 9i%er# In &act, the title o&
+ordsorth4s !oem indicates that the narrator sto!s and stands (:u;!on
+estminster ,ridge- &or (:d;ull ould be the soul ho could !ass by#- In
essence, the narrator o& +ordsorth4s !oem &eels com!elled to !ause and
e/amine the city &rom the %antage !oint o& the bridge<a bridge that crosses
the 1hames, or (the ri%er :that; glideth at his on seet ill#- 9ather than
rushing to his destination, the narrator4s soul is stirred by the (majestic=
shi!s, toers, domes, theatres, and tem!les- that 2ll the heart o& .ondon# 1o
+ordsorth4s narrator, it is as i& the setting is more !er&ect and more
stunning than all o& >od4s creation# Similarly, ,la'e4s .ondon is described by
a narrator ho (ander:s;=?@ear here the chartered 1hames does "o#-
$oe%er, this s!ea'er does not loo' u! to the s'yline and admire .ondon4s
architecture, this s!ea'er loo's don and &ocuses on the common !eo!le# 1o
,la'e4s narrator, .ondon is 2lled ith (:m;ar's o& ea'ness, mar's o& oe#-
In &act, (e%ery cry o& e%ery man- rings out ith sadness and &ear# ,la'e
mentions the (blasts- o& the in&ant, the chimneyAsee!er, the soldier, and
e%en the harlot# *nli'e +ordsorth4s highAminded, silent and re%erent
.ondon, ,la'e4s .ondon is lobro, loud and rody# +ordsorth4s .ondon is
aslee! and at rest, hile ,la'e4s .ondon is restless and aa'e e%en (through
midnight#-
1his contrast beteen the !ristine, !eace&ul .ondon and the gritty,
raucous .ondon continues to be e/!ressed through each !oem4s tone#
+ordsorth4s narrator e/!resses his a!!reciation &or .ondon in a re%erent
manner# $is obser%ation o& .ondon in the morning light resounds li'e a
Psalm or a !rayer# In &act, the narrator4s 2rst !ronunciation rings out, (Earth
has not anything to sho more &air?=5 sight so touching in its majesty#-
1his hy!erbole, !roclaiming .ondon more beauti&ul than any other object on
earth, em!hasizes ho aeAins!iring the narrator 2nds the city# 1he narrator
is dee!ly touched, !resumably to his core or soul# Moreo%er, toard the end
o& the !oem, the narrator e/claims ith a sense o& s!iritual ecstasy, (Bear
>odC- )learly, this demonstrates his !assion# 1he s!ea'er than's hea%en
abo%e &or the o!!ortunity to itness the glories o& .ondon, the master&ul
or'manshi!, the immense layout o& the city# 1hus, +ordsorth4s narrator
li&ts .ondon u!, oDering his humble gratitude# +hen one reads +ordsorth,
he %ies .ondon as a gi&t &rom >od# Eet, i& one reads ,la'e, he %ies .ondon
as a torment ith (blights and !lagues#- ,la'e4s narrator tra%els along the
streets li'e a ca!ti%e o& hell# $e hears (:t;he mindA&orged manacles- o&
.ondoners crying out in sorro<almost in a manner o& one condemned# 1hat
,la'e mentions manacles, or chains, also reminds the reader that the
narrator &eels im!risoned by .ondon# 1hen, the narrator increases the horror
by !ainting a meta!horical !icture the !alace alls running in the blood o&
$is Majesty4s (ha!less- soldiers# $ere ,la'e suggests that the common man
is hel!lessly sacri2ced &or the glory o& the rich and !oer&ul# 1he churches
are blac'ened ith soot, re!resenting both the literal grime o& the city and
the corru!tion o& religion by man# )ertainly, ,la'e4s .ondon is cluttered ith
!ain, o!!ression, and &earF it is a hell on earth#
1hematically, each !oem a!!ears to be sending a message that is the
o!!osite o& the other# +hile +ordsorth de!icts a beauti&ully tranGuil
.ondon, ,la'e describes a cruel, cold and bitter .ondon# +ordsorth
reaHrms the glory and majesty o& >od and all creation, including a manA
made metro!olis# Eet, ,la'e mourns the !light and misery that the or'ing
class !eo!le &ace# In !oem one, ( 1his city doth li'e a garment ear?1he
beauty o& the morning#- $ence, .ondon is !ersoni2ed# She is clothed in
sunlightF she is ra!!ed in the !rotection and lo%e o& >od# +ordsorth
lea%es the reader ith a message o& ho!e0 in the midst o& li&e, there are
alays sim!le reminders o& >od4s grace, >od4s a!!ro%al o& man4s creati%ity#
$ere, .ondon is 2gurati%ely being smiled u!on# In !oem to, hoe%er,
.ondon is an indiDerent and godless city# It holds no secrets, &or each man4s
sorro, (e%ery %oice- ails# 1hus, ,la'e4s .ondon is na'ed and its heartache
is e/!osed# Man is alone, there is no bene%olent &orce interceding, or sa%ing,
the !eo!le o& .ondon# 1he !eo!le are le&t to the cruel hims o& !estilence,
greed, and e%en lust#
1hese to %ies o& 17
th
century .ondon, symbolize li&e and its
com!le/ities# 1here are times hen an indi%idual e/!eriences great !assion,
!eace, and mental clarity# 1hose are times hen one &eels connected to the
orld, &eels that the orld ma'es sense and has order# 5t other times, a
!erson e/!eriences great suDering, anguish, and emotional con&usion#
1hose are times hen the orld is incom!rehensible, lonely, and unjust#
,oth e/!eriences are !oer&ul e/tremes o& li&eF and hether one is jubilant
and ha!!y or de&eated and de!ressed, each e/!erience is meaning&ul# Some
suggest that !eo!le cannot a!!reciate ha!!iness ithout and understanding
o& sadness, cannot %alue !eace ithout 'noing chaos, cannot de2ne light
ithout e/!eriencing dar'ness# *ltimately, the hea%en o& +ordsorth4s
.ondon and the hell o& ,la'e4s .ondon com!lement each other, reminding
the reader that the orld is truly bitter seet#
Composed Upon Westminster Bridge,
September 3, 1802
By William Wordsworth
EA!" has not anything to show more #air$
%&ll wo&ld he be o# so&l who 'o&ld pass by
A sight so to&'hing in its ma(esty$
!his City now doth li)e a garment wear
!he bea&ty o# the morning* silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
+pen &nto the #ields, and to the s)y*
All bright and glittering in the smo)eless air,
-e.er did s&n more bea&ti#&lly steep
/n his #irst splendo&r .alley, ro'), or hill*
-e0er saw /, ne.er #elt, a 'alm so deep1
!he ri.er glideth at his own sweet will$
%ear 2od1 !he .ery ho&ses seem asleep*
And all that mighty heart is lying still1
3ondon
By William Bla)e
/ wander thro&gh ea'h 'hartered street,
-ear where the 'hartered !hames does #low,
A mar) in e.ery #a'e / meet,
4ar)s o# wea)ness, mar)s o# woe,
/n e.ery 'ry o# e.ery man,
/n e.ery in#ant0s 'ry o# #ear,
/n e.ery .oi'e, in e.ery ban,
!he mind5#orged mana'les / hear$
"ow the 'himney5sweeper0s 'ry
E.ery bla')ening 'h&r'h appalls,
And the hapless soldier0s sigh
&ns in blood down pala'e5walls,
B&t most, thro&gh midnight streets / hear
"ow the yo&th#&l harlot0s '&rse
Blasts the new5born in#ant0s tear,
And blights with plag&es the marriage hearse,