This is my opinion on why the poem “London” is still relevant to this day after the many years since its publication. One of the themes of this poem is “Poverty” and in my opinion there are still a lot of aspects of poverty all over the world, not just London. Back when this was published there were an influx of people coming into the UK for various reasons and there still are but when the poem in was published there weren't enough houses (There still aren't nowadays) for the people to inhabit and this was during the industrial era so children were forced to go work in workhouses or in the factories and if they didn't go most of them were forced on the streets so they did whatever they could. The quote “how the youthful harlot's curse” shows this because it shows that the child was more than likely forced by there parents to find work to help dig them out of poverty and that is why she became a “Harlot” and plus the word “Youthful” was sued when describing her and that helps prove my point that she was a child.
That last paragraph I talked mostly about the poem but now I will tie poverty in the poem to nowadays. In modern times i will admit London's rate of families being forced into poverty is lower because there are more jobs for people to do so that has helped most people but you need an education to get a degree to do jobs and if they came from a war torn country they probably weren't able to receive a proper education so they won't be able to obtain a job therefore ending up homeless and on the streets. This is also a problem in other countries such as South Sudan with a poverty rate of 82.3%.
Another theme in “London'' is oppression which is shown by the repetition of “Chartered” this refers to how in the 1700’s legislation was passed giving common land to the wealthy for use and ownership which made most areas which common folk hang around private so they can't go anywhere. There is also a juxtaposition between “Chartered” and “Flow” which indicates freedom while “Chartered” is very much the opposite. But nowadays there is also a lot of oppression going on such as laws being passed in certain countries which make it hard for other people to be who they want to be and are ridiculous.
Later in the poem it also mentions “Black’ning church appals” which shows that in the 1700 when the industrial era started there was a lot of air pollution and buildings where being covered in Smog and this also links to today since there are still a lot of countries which suffer from pollution in the air which means you wouldn't be able to see the stars which link to another poem “She Walks in Beauty” which describes a women as “cloudless climes and starry skies”.
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