Year 10 - English
Understanding ideas of power and corruption in Blake's 'London'
Poetry anthology (Assessment until summer 2026)
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupis explore 14 of the 18 poems from the Eduqas poetry anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in a thematically linked order so they can complete comparative and thematic lessons during the unit.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how William Blake presents power in society in 18th century London.
Key Notes
- Blake's poem 'London' is a condemnation of the inequality and oppression that pervaded society in 18th century London.
- 'London' is taken from Blake's' Songs of Innocence and Experience', which investigates how society corrupts innocence.
- Blake was critical of social inequality created by institutions: the Church, Government and the Monarchy.
- In the poem, Blake highlights the effects of the inaction of greedy and selfish leaders on the vulnerable.
- Blake was a radical, inspired by the French Revolution to warn about the restrictions on freedom and imagination.
Vocabulary To Learn
- oppression: a situation in which people are ruled or governed in an unfair way
- authority: the power or right to give orders
- corrupt: immoral or dishonest
- industrialisation: the process of transforming an economy from one which relies on traditional farming methods, to one which relies on factories and machinery
- radical: someone who believes there should be extreme social and/or political change
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Students often think that, because society was very religious in the 18th century, that Blake must have been a devout Christian too.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Blake's poem 'London' is a condemnation of the inequality and oppression that pervaded society in 18th century London. 'London' is taken from Blake's' Songs of Innocence and Experience', which investigates how society corrupts innocence.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'oppression'
a situation in which people are ruled or governed in an unfair way.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Students often think that, because society was very religious in the 18th century, that Blake must have been a devout Christian too. Correction: Blake was extremely opposed to mass worship and hated the fact that religion was allied with the Government - he felt this gave institutions the ability to control and oppress people.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Analysing 'Cozy Apologia' by Rita Dove Study Guide
- Analysing 'Valentine' by Carol Ann Duffy Study Guide
- Analysing Brooke's presentation of England and patriotism in 'The Soldier' Study Guide
- Analysing Hardy's presentation of the consequences of war in 'A Wife in London' Study Guide
- Analysing how Armitage presents the effects of war in 'The Manhunt' Study Guide
- Analysing how Browning presents love in 'Sonnet 43' Study Guide
- Analysing how Byron presents the woman in 'She Walks in Beauty' Study Guide
- Analysing how Hughes presents the power of nature in 'Hawk Roosting' Study Guide
- Analysing how Owen presents the realities of war in 'Dulce et Decorum Est' Study Guide
- Analysing how Sheers presents the brutality and legacy of war in 'Mametz Wood' Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of community and faith in Dharker's 'Living Space' Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of power and conflict in Blake's 'London' Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of time and loss of innocence in Larkin's 'Afternoons' Study Guide
- Analysing model answers on poetry from the Eduqas anthology Study Guide
- Analysing the concept of power in Shelley's 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Comparing how poets explore relationships in the Eduqas anthology Study Guide
- Comparing how poets explore the experience of war in the Eduqas anthology Study Guide
- Considering the context of Sheers' 'Mametz Wood' and the futility of war Study Guide
- Critical attitudes to powerful institutions in 'London' and 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Developing interpretations of 'The Manhunt' with Simon Armitage Study Guide
- Exploring the Eduqas poetry anthology Study Guide
- Planning a written response on poetry from the Eduqas anthology Study Guide
- Understanding 'Cozy Apologia' by Rita Dove Study Guide
- Understanding 'Valentine' by Carol Ann Duffy Study Guide
- Understanding how Armitage presents the effects of war in 'The Manhunt' Study Guide
- Understanding how Hardy presents the consequences of war in 'A Wife in London' Study Guide
- Understanding how Hughes presents the power of nature in 'Hawk Roosting' Study Guide
- Understanding how the woman is presented in Byron's 'She Walks in Beauty' Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of community and resilience in Dharker's 'Living Space' Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of patriotism and optimism in Brooke's 'The Soldier' Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of time, family, and pessimism in Larkin's 'Afternoons' Study Guide
- Understanding the connections between Romanticism and Shelley's 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Understanding the presentation of love in Browning's 'Sonnet 43' Study Guide
- Understanding the realities of war in Owen's 'Dulce et Decorum Est' Study Guide
- Writing excellent comparative essays on poetry from the Eduqas anthology Study Guide
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