LONDON

La città londinese si apprestava ormai a varcare la soglia del milione di abitanti, ma le condizioni di vita non erano certo migliorate. William Blake mostra in questa poesia tutto il suo disappunto per questa nuova situazione venutasi a delineare nella capitale inglese.

I wander through each chartered street.
Near where the chartered Thames does flow,
And mark on every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

In every cry of every Man,
In every Infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forged manacles I hear.

How the Chimney-sweeper's cry
Every blackening Church appals;
And the Hapless Soldier's sigh,
Runs in blood down Palace walla.

But most through midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlot's curse
Blasts the newborn Infant's tear,
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.

                                                by William Blake