London by William Blake and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning both feature in the AQA Power and Conflict anthology for GCSE English literature. They are fascinating poems containing some difficult themes, not least poverty, corruption, murder, gender-based violence… and the conflict that arises from the misuse of power.

London is often seen as one of the most difficult poems to analyse and compare in the entire anthology. While it certainly can be challenging, there are loads of links you can make with the other poems. To help kickstart your thinking, I’ve written a sample essay comparing London with My Last Duchess.

If you’re feeling uncertain about either of these poems, it’s helpful to listen to a reading first (there’s plenty on YouTube). After you’ve listened to the poems, there’s a great guide to My Last Duchess available on SparkNotes as well as a fab discussion of London and it’s themes by the rapper Akala.

Here it is:

Once you’ve familiarised yourself with the poems, come back to this essay. Have a read through and think about how you’d improve it. Does it meet the AQA assessment objectives? And if not, why not?

Ready? Let’s go.

In London, William Blake explores ideas about the abuse of power. Compare this with one other poem of your choice (My Last Duchess).

In London by William Blake and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning, both poets delve into the theme of the abuse of power. While Blake focuses on the misuse of power by individuals in “palaces” and “churches” through his depiction of London, Browning presents a personal exploration of a wealthy Duke’s potential involvement in the murder of his wife.

In London, as the narrator walks through the “chartered” streets, he observes “marks of weakness, marks of woe” on every face he encounters. This powerful statement suggests the people of London are trapped in a perpetual state of misery. The word “mark” can also be interpreted metaphorically as a brand, symbolising how people are forcibly marked and confined to their societal positions. Instead of a powerful capital, London becomes a backdrop for widespread suffering with people held-back by their own “mind-forged manacles” as well as those in power. The repetition of words like “every” emphasizes the scale of this affliction, while auditory imagery captures the cries and fears of every individual, regardless of age or social standing.

Similarly, My Last Duchess explores the misuse of power, but from a gender-based violence perspective. The poem begins with the possessive pronoun “my” in reference to the Duke’s deceased wife. This indicates his desire to claim her as a possession, much like the artwork adorning his walls showcasing his wealth and control. The Duke’s focus on the reputation of artists, such as “Fra Pandolf” and “Claus of Innsbruck, reveals his prioritisation of their fame over the woman in the painting. While Blake presents the abuse of power in terms of economic and social divisions, Browning portrays it through gender dynamics. The Duke’s description of the “faint half-flush that dies along her throat” creates a sinister tone, employing fricative alliteration and words (such as “dies” and “throat”) semantically associated with murder.

Blake’s narrator expresses shame over the stark contrast between the powerful and the impoverished within the city. In contrast, the speaker in My Last Duchess exudes pride and arrogance about his own power. Browning skilfully reveals the Duke’s underlying insecurities with his long monologue, however, leaving readers questioning the extent of his true power. He ironically states that even if he had “skill in speech”, he wouldn’t stoop to say “just this or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, or there exceed the mark”. His inability to express his emotional needs suggests the woman held true power in their relationship. Sadly, this conflict culminates in the ultimate abuse of power, when the Duke recalls “then all smiles stopped together”. This short, declarative statement implies the Duchess was killed at his behest.

In Blake’s poem, short declarative sentences also highlight the abuse of power. When he describes how “the hapless Soldier’s sigh / runs in blood down Palace walls,” the vivid metaphor of dripping blood symbolises the sacrifices of the poor to safeguard privileged palace residents. The additional juxtaposition between the “cries” of child chimney sweepers and the ringing of church bells further reinforces the image of the powerful (in this case, religious elites), suppressing the populace.

Both poets also use structural devices to reinforce themes of power and its misuse. Blake’s meticulous observations of London are heightened by the regular alternate rhyme scheme and carefully constructed quatrains. The ABAB rhythm mirrors his fastidious steps as he observes each street and its inhabitants. Moreover, each stanza builds on the previous one. The first stanza focuses on misery, the second on people’s inability to challenge power, the third on the sacrifices made by the poor, and the final stanza presenting a bleak view of the destructive power of corruption (“How the youthful Harlots curse / Blasts the new-born Infants tear / And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse”). Similarly to London’s strong narrative voice, in My Last Duchess, Browning uses caesura and enjambment to create a dramatic monologue that vividly mimics the flow of the Duke’s thoughts. Despite his apparent lack of self-control (ranting at length), the poem maintains a regular rhyming structure with rhyming couplets and iambic pentameter. This adds another layer of facade to the Duke’s character. Like the poem itself, he appears carefully-composed on the surface but harbours more sinister intentions and abuses of power beneath.

Over to you…

This essay is missing a conclusion and context about each poem. How would you finish it off?

Here are some notes on context to help… good luck!

My Last Duchess: Context

Robert Browning was a poet in the Victorian period. His family were very wealthy, but he never felt comfortable with elite London society. Despite the disapproval of both sets of parents, Browning travelled to Italy to marry his love and fellow poet Elizabeth Barrett. They were unable to marry in England because of Elizabeth’s overprotective father in particular.

  • Can you link controlling male figures with the events in My Last Duchess?

My Last Duchess is loosely based on the real Duke of Ferrara (Alfonso II d’Este). In 1558 (at the age of 24), he married Lucrezia di Cosimo de’ Medici, the 13-year-old daughter of Cosimo I de’ Medici. Lucrezia was well-educated, and the Medicis were considered “nouveau riche” in comparison to the venerable Este family.

  • How does this deepen your understanding of the poem? Hint – Alfonso II d’Este’s remark regarding his gift of a “nine-hundred-years-old name” clearly indicates he considered his bride beneath him socially.

Lucrezia came with a sizeable dowry. Despite this, the Duke of Ferrara abandoned her two years before she died on 21 April 1561, at age 16. Although there was a strong suspicion of poisoning, it’s likely the cause of death was tuberculosis. The poem is written from the Duke’s perspective, spoken to an unknown messenger about his next marriage.

  • What does this reveal about the conflicts in the Duke’s character and how much he really cared for his wife?

London: Context

William Blake was a Romantic poet in the Victorian/Georgian period. He wrote many poems in two anthologies titled Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. The Songs of Innocence poems were often simple, naive and positive. Conversely, the Songs of Experience poems were often cynical, bitter and pessimistic.

  • Can you guess which anthology London featured in? Why do you think this?

London was published in 1794, when child labour, poverty, death, disease and malnutrition were all high in English industrial cities. Women also had very little rights and the poorest in society were often forced into prostitution to earn a small living. The industrial revolution resulted in many people moving from the countryside into cities, to work in large factories for low wages. William Blake’s poetry often angrily argued against this capitalist corruption and exploitation.

  • What references to exploitation, corruption and problems in society do you see in the poem?

This period witnessed the French Revolutionary Wars: a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802, resulting from the French Revolution. During this revolution, the French people overthrew and executed their king. The revolution was meant to ensure equality and freedom for all in society. This contrasted with Britain, a country with an established monarchy and aristocratic classes firmly in power. The wars pitted France against Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and several other monarchies.

  • Do you think William Blake is encouraging people in England to throw off their “mind forged manacles”, just like the French?

More Power and Conflict sample poetry essays:

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