London 1802
Author….William
Wordsworth
Introduction




William Wordsworth was born on April 7,
1770. In Cockermouth Cumber land in the
lake district.
His mother died when he was 8.
He went to Cambridge University.
He died on April 23, 1850.
The poem
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.

"London, 1802 by William Wordsworth." The Literature Network:
Online Classic Literature, Poems, and Quotes. Essays & Summaries.
Web. 07 Feb. 2011. <http://www.online-literature.com/keats/519/>.

London 1802 paraphrased
Milton! I wish that you could return to Earth Every venerable
institution: religion, military, literature, and the home have lost
touch of inward happiness, Which is an English birthright.
We are being selfish please raise us up and return to us, and
teach us manners, virtues, freedom, and power.
His soul was as bright as a star, and stood apart from the crowd:
he did not need the approval or company of others in order to
live his life as he pleased. His voice was powerful and influence
as the sea itself, and though he possessed a kind moral
perfection, he never ceased to act humbly.
"London, 1802 Analysis William Wordsworth : Summary Explanation Meaning Overview Essay
Writing Critique Peer Review Literary Criticism Synopsis Online Education." Writing
Workshop, or Something. Web. 08 Feb. 2011. <http://www.eliteskills.com/c/6384>.
Diction


There were a lot of Obsolete words because
this was written in the 1800s. Hard to
understand for someone who isn’t familiar
with this.
Connotations: Altar is the church, sword is
the military, pen is literature, and fireside is
home.
Tone and Mood




Wordsworth uses a melancholy tone and the sad
theme to show how London is facing many problems
This poem creates a sad mood.
Wordsworth doesn’t use any Irony.
This poem makes you sad because the people are in
need of John Milton who was a great writer and
person.
Rhetorical Situation


The poet is speaking to another poet whose
name is John Milton and he has died, and he
wishes that john was still alive and that his
work help bring England together.
The reader overhearing the poet is speaking
about John Milton and England.
Figurative Language




A voice whose sound was like the sea.
Simile.
Pure as the naked winds. Simile.
Thy soul was like a star. Simile.
she is a fen of stagnant waters. Metaphor
Imagery


Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like
the sea.
Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free.
Imagery cont.



I hear a voice that is longing for someone that is
gone.
I can see that some one has pure soul and is very
kind and generous to others.
Symbols are: Altar represents English church, Sword
represents British military, fireside stands for the
security of the home, pen represents literature, and a
Fen of stagnant waters represents that there is
something rotten in the state of England.
Sound





Rhyme: fen and pen, bower and dower, men and again.
Lines 1-8 octave ABBAABBA
Lines 9-14 sestet CDDECE
No alliteration.
Not many harsh or discordant words. Poem is serious so there
really isn’t anything pleasing.
Poem structure

14 lines, sonnet
Free verse, the poem is all grouped together.

Iambic pentameter.

Conclusion/ Evaluation



We think that the author did a good job on the poem, we think
that it was cool how we got to over hear someone talking about
this great man John Milton and all of his accomplishments,
sounded like the person was mourning him wishing that he was
still alive and making wonderful poetry/literature because
England’s current Poets/writers aren’t doing much more
England.
When the speaker talks about altar, sword, and pen,
Fireside. We can imagine, religion, military, and literature, and
the household.
The Poem’s rhyme scheme went well with the poem and didn’t
confuse or distract us.
Personal Reactions



At first we didn’t really understand what the speaker
was talking about, after reading some summaries we
began to understand it and it wasn’t that bad(good
thing it was short).
It taught us that one person who doesn’t have to
have high power or lead groups can change a nation
just by his writings.
I think this poem may in a way relate to us, because
we are great writers and maybe just maybe our
writings can change this country!