london 1802 poetry essay pdf

London, 1802 Summary & Analysis by William Wordsworth

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

"London, 1802" is a sonnet by William Wordsworth, one of the most influential English Romantic Poets. The poem praises the famous 17th-century poet John Milton and suggests that England would be better off if it modeled itself after Milton and the values of his era. Wordsworth composed the poem in 1802, shortly after returning to London from France, where he witnessed the aftermath of the French Revolution. Comparing France's somber social landscape to England's boisterous, care-free atmosphere, Wordsworth composed "London, 1802" as both a critique of his country and a celebration of its former glory.

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The Full Text of “London, 1802”

1 Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour:

2 England hath need of thee: she is a fen

3 Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,

4 Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,

5 Have forfeited their ancient English dower

6 Of inward happiness. We are selfish men;

7 Oh! raise us up, return to us again;

8 And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power.

9 Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart:

10 Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea:

11 Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free,

12 So didst thou travel on life's common way,

13 In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart

14 The lowliest duties on herself did lay.

“London, 1802” Summary

“london, 1802” themes.

The Past and Societal Decline

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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “London, 1802”

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,

Lines 12-13

So didst thou travel on life's common way, In cheerful godliness;

Lines 13-14

and yet thy heart The lowliest duties on herself did lay.

“London, 1802” Symbols

John Milton

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The Natural World

“london, 1802” poetic devices & figurative language.

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End-Stopped Line

Personification, “london, 1802” vocabulary.

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “London, 1802”

Rhyme scheme, “london, 1802” speaker, “london, 1802” setting, literary and historical context of “london, 1802”, more “london, 1802” resources, external resources.

A Reading of the Poem — Listen to a clear, slow, and concentrated reading of "London, 1802."

Preface to Lyrical Ballads — Read Wordsworth's "Preface to Lyrical Ballads," an essay that greatly influenced the trajectory of Romantic poetry.

The Industrial Revolution — Watch an informative BBC documentary about the Industrial Revolution and its impact on England.

More Information about John Milton — Learn about John Milton's life, his writing, and how he influenced the course of British literature.

Wordsworth's Life and Work — Read an overview of William Wordsworth and his life as a Romantic poet.

LitCharts on Other Poems by William Wordsworth

A Complaint

A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal

Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802

Expostulation and Reply

Extract from The Prelude (Boat Stealing)

It Is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free

I Travelled Among Unknown Men

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey

Lines Written in Early Spring

My Heart Leaps Up

Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent’s Narrow Room

Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood

She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways

She was a Phantom of Delight

The Solitary Reaper

The Tables Turned

The World Is Too Much With Us

Three Years She Grew in Sun and Shower

To a Snowdrop

We Are Seven

Everything you need for every book you read.

Wordsworth's Poetical Works

By william wordsworth, wordsworth's poetical works summary and analysis of "london, 1802".

In the beginning of "London, 1802" William Wordsworth cries out to the dead poet, John Milton , telling him that he should be alive, because England needs him now. He goes on to describe England as a swampy marshland of "stagnant waters" where everything that was once a natural gift (such as religion, chivalry, and art, symbolized respectively by the altar, the sword, and the pen) has been lost to the scourge of modernity:

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.

The speaker continues by telling Milton that the English are selfish and asking him to raise them up. He asks Milton to bring the English ("us") "manners, virtue, freedom, power":

We are selfish men; Oh! raise us up, return to us again; And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power.

The speaker then tells Milton that his "soul was like a Star," because he was different even from his contemporaries in terms of the virtues listed above. The speaker tells Milton that his voice was like the sea and the sky, a part of nature and therefore natural: "majestic, free." The speaker also compliments Milton's ability to embody "cheerful godliness" even while doing the "lowliest duties":

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.

"London, 1802" is a sonnet with a rhyme scheme of abbaabbacddece. The poem is written in the second person and addresses the late poet John Milton, who lived from 1608-1674 and is most famous for having written Paradise Lost .

The poem has two main purposes, one of which is to pay homage to Milton by saying that he can save the entirety of England with his noblity and virtue. The other purpose of the poem is to draw attention to what Wordsworth feels are the problems with English society.

According to Wordsworth, England was once a great place of happiness, religion, chivalry, art, and literature, but at the present moment those virtues have been lost. Wordsworth can only describe modern England as a swampland, where people are selfish and must be taught about things like "manners, virtue, freedom, power."

Notice that Wordsworth compliments Milton by comparing him to things found in nature, such as the stars, the sea, and "the heavens." For Wordsworth, being likened to nature is the highest compliment possible.

Wordsworth’s Poetical Works Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Wordsworth’s Poetical Works is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

To a Butterfly by William Wordsworth

D reminds him of forgotten days

Explain the philosophical, socio-cultural and religious concerns in the Tintern abbey

This is a pretty detailed question for this short space. You can actually find what you need at the GradeSaver link below:

https://www.gradesaver.com/wordsworths-poetical-works/study-guide/summary-lines-composed-a-few-miles-above-tintern-abbey

Differences and similarities between London and London 1802?

I know the poem London 1802. Is there a separate poem called only London?

Study Guide for Wordsworth’s Poetical Works

Wordsworth's Poetical Works study guide contains a biography of William Wordsworth, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Wordsworth's Poetical Works
• Wordsworth's Poetical Works Summary
• Character List

Essays for Wordsworth’s Poetical Works

Wordsworth's Poetical Works essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of William Wordsworth's poetry and prose.

• Wordsworth and Blake: The Plight of Mankind
• Back to the Future: Wordsworth's "Ode to Duty" and "Elegiac Stanzas"
• The Union of Opposing Elements: Poems by Wordsworth and Coleridge
• The Connection between the Natural Scene and the Speaker's State of Mind in William Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"
• Blake and Wordsworth Versus Society

Lesson Plan for Wordsworth’s Poetical Works

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Wordsworth's Poetical Works
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Wordsworth's Poetical Works Bibliography

E-Text of Wordsworth’s Poetical Works

Wordsworth's Poetical Works e-text contains the full text of William Wordsworth's poetry and prose.

• Table of Contents
• A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal
• Composed Upon Westminster Bridge
• I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
• It Is a Beauteous Evening

Wikipedia Entries for Wordsworth’s Poetical Works

• Introduction
• Early career
• Germany and move to the Lake District
• Married life

London, 1802 Introduction

In a nutshell.

"London, 1802" works on so many levels. First of all, it's an obvious call for help; the poet, William Wordsworth, laments the state of England, and expresses his fears about the health of the national character. Second, it's an elegy for John Milton , a great English poet of the 17th century (famous for the super-long and spectacular epic, Paradise Lost ). Finally, it's just a gosh darned good old-fashioned sonnet. In just fourteen lines, Wordsworth manages to invoke his poetic forefather, sketch out his view of England's character and inhabitants, and demonstrate to us just how skilled he is with rhyme and meter by crafting a gorgeous Petrarchan sonnet. Wow . What more could you ask for? Not only is the sonnet an accomplished and polished example of its form, it's also a bold condemnation of the poet's nation and fellow countrymen. This, you might think, must have taken some real guts. Well, guts and confidence. "London, 1802" wasn't actually published until 1807, despite its misleading title. By that time, Wordsworth was an established poet; along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge (of Rime of the Ancient Mariner fame), he had basically created what would come to be known as Romantic poetry, which burst onto the scene in 1798 with a collaboration between the two poets, simply titled Lyrical Ballads . These poets and their contemporaries (who included Keats, Shelley , Byron , and Blake ) attempted to use poetry as a mediator between humanity and nature; they saw verse as a way to directly express the emotional experience of human life, ideally in spontaneous, clear language. Wordsworth's poetry was well received. Poems in Two Volumes , which contained "London, 1802," was actually his third book. After this productive period, Wordsworth's fame continued to grow – he actually became Poet Laureate of England in 1843, and remained in that position until his death in 1850.

Why Should I Care?

A country in the midst of an identity crisis…a passionate need for change…major stress about the state of the nation. Sound familiar? In this poem, Wordsworth appeals to the spirit of John Milton to help England pull itself out of a major slump. We might detect some parallels in America's 2008 presidential election, when the idea of "change" was the name of the game for both political parties. Wordsworth knew he was living in a flawed country, and he perceived England as a nation that had lost sight of its past glories. In this poem, he longs to remind his countrymen of what England used to represent. Similarly, both Democrats and Republicans (as well as Democlicans and Republocrats) frequently call upon our perceptions of what the United States of America represented in the past and of what it should represent in the future. "London, 1802" doesn't get into specific political issues, but instead asks readers where the character of England went astray. Imagining that very same question being posed on Capitol Hill is not difficult. We can be certain that, were Wordsworth to time-travel his way into modern day America, he'd be pretty riled up about the kind of change going down.

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W hy's T his F unny?

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.”

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Literary Criticism London 1802 Wordsworth

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London, 1802

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Literary Context: Milton and Romanticism

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Related Titles

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A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal

Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

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