London, 1802 by William Wordsworth | Explanation and Analysis

Hello dear students! Today, we are going to dive into a beautiful poem called "London, 1802" by William Wordsworth. William Wordsworth was an English poet. He lived from 1770 to 1850. He wrote poems during a time called the Romantic period. The poets and writers of Romanticism focused on emotions, nature, and the beauty of the world around them. They believed in the importance of feelings. Wordsworth loved nature and thought it could teach people how to be good and happy. He also cared about society and how people lived. This poem "London, 1802" was written in 1802. The poem is a sonnet. A sonnet is a type of poem that has 14 lines and follows a special pattern of rhyming scheme. Wordsworth wrote this poem because he was upset about the state of England at that time. He felt that society had lost its goodness, and he wanted someone great to fix it. Now let us talk about the title: "London, 1802". London is the capital city of England. The year 1802 tells us when Wordsworth wrote the poem. The title is giving us a clue about the place and time he is talking about. Wordsworth is saying that in the year 1802, things in London—and in all of England—were not going well. He wants to explain what is wrong and what he wishes could happen. Explanation of "London, 1802" by William Wordsworth. The poem is addressed to John Milton. John Milton was another great English poet who lived much earlier, from 1608 to 1674. He wrote a famous poem called "Paradise Lost". Milton was not just a poet; he was also a thinker and a writer who cared about freedom, religion, and how people should live. Wordsworth admired Milton a lot. In this poem, Wordsworth is saying that he wishes Milton were alive in 1802 to help fix England’s problems. It is like Wordsworth is calling out to Milton from the past. Analysis of "London, 1802" by William Wordsworth. Let us talk about the structure of the poem. "London, 1802" is a Petrarchan sonnet. A traditional sonnet has 14 lines. But a Petrarchan sonnet divides these 14 lines into two parts. The first 8 lines are called the octave, and the last 6 lines are called the sestet. The octave often presents a problem, and the sestet gives a solution or a reflection. In this poem, the octave (lines 1 to 8) describes the problem. The poet tells us that England is in a bad state, and Wordsworth wishes Milton were alive to fix it. The sestet (lines 9 to 14) describes Milton himself, showing why Wordsworth thinks he could help. The rhyme scheme is ABBAABBA for the octave and CDCDCD for the sestet. This structure makes the poem feel balanced and organized. Let us talk about the literary devices Wordsworth uses. We have already seen some metaphors, like "England is a fen" and Milton’s soul being "like a Star". There is also personification when Wordsworth calls England "she". The poet makes the country seem like a person who needs help. The metaphors of the poems are very powerful. They create pictures in our minds and make us feel Wordsworth’s emotions.