Departure for London

As I'm packing to leave for London tomorrow, I can't help but think about William Blake's Poem "London." Obviously, modern London is going to be quite different from Blake's London. He writes:
I wander thro' each charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

In every cry of every Man,
In every Infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear.

How the Chimney-sweeper's cry
Every black'ning Church appalls;And the hapless Soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls.

But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlot's curse
Blasts the new born Infant's tear,
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.
Blake's view is not the most flattering or celebratory picture of London. He talks about the "charter'd" streets of the city, as well as the "charter'd" Thames river. For Romantic poets like Blake, nature is the most important image. To Blake, the streets and river in the city are too unnatural, too planned out. He thinks that directing and walling off the river as has been done in London makes the city an unpleasant place to be.

Hopefully, my experience with London will be at least slightly more pleasant than Blake's. I'm anticipating a bustling city full of culture and history- and my best friend of almost 15 years who happens to be studying there while I'm over here in Ireland. Should be a good reunion and wonderful weekend! Be back in good old Dungarvan on Sunday afternoon-I'll miss it!