London

Not all of William Blake's poems are happy and upbeat. Some are very dark and critical. In my opinion, his "darker", more critical poems are his better poems.
His poem, “London”, which can be found in his collection of poems titled Songs of Innocence and Experience, takes on this perspective. In this poem, the narrator travels through the streets of London, and it is safe to say he is disturbed and a little disgusted by what he sees. He sees a cry in every face he comes across. He sees cries of fears, cries of weakness, and cries of woes. Observing his references to Church and the monarchy, it is quite clear that he sees that these institutions are a part of the big system and structure that are the reason behind the cries of despair heard everywhere. However, he goes further and criticizes the people within this system for allowing themselves to be enslaved and trapped in an infinite loop that won't allow them to break free. This criticism is seen when he talks about "mind-forg'd manacles". Also, when he talks about the harlot, it seems as if he is saying that even at the moment of our birth we are already thrown into this infinite cycle of misery.