Exploring imagery in 'London' by William Blake | English

Starter quiz

Who is the author of the poem 'London'?
- 'William Blake' ✓
Which definition best fits the word plague?
- a widespread and contagious disease ✓
- a vehicle used to transport a body to a funeral
- deep distress or sorrow
True or false? In the poem 'London', the speaker describes miserable sounds and sights in the city.
- True ✓
- False
Which river does the speaker walk past on their walk?
- the Brent
- the Wandle
- the Thames ✓
- the Fleet
Which of these are synonyms of "woe"?
- sorrow ✓
- joy
- suffering ✓
- happiness
When is the speaker walking?
- in the bright light of morning
- in the dark of the evening ✓
- during a beautiful sunset

Match the keywords to their definitions.
- imagery
  
  ⇔
  
  the use of vivid and sensory language ✓
- visual
  
  ⇔
  
  relating to the sense of sight ✓
- aural
  
  ⇔
  
  relating to the sense of hearing ✓
Which of the following examples of imagery are visual?
- "Marks of weakness" ✓
- “black’ning Church” ✓
- "Chimney-sweepers cry"
Which of the following examples of imagery are aural?
- "Marks of weakness"
- “Infants cry of fear” ✓
- “every cry of every man” ✓
True or false? William Blake uses sensory language to paint a vivid image.
- True ✓
- False
Match the following words from the poem with their definitions.
- "blights"
  
  ⇔
  
  a plant disease or form of decay ✓
- "manacles"
  
  ⇔
  
  metal restrains of shackles ✓
- "woe"
  
  ⇔
  
  deep distress or sorrow ✓
True or false? Imagery includes metaphors, similes and personification.
- True ✓
- False

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Imagery refers to the use of language that evokes vivid mental pictures in the reader's mind.
In the poem 'London', William Blake uses sensory language to paint a vivid image.
Sounds are important in the poem, such as the "infant's cry of fear" and the "chimney-sweeper's cry".
The use of negative sounds in the poem creates a noisy and unpleasant impression of the city.
Different kinds of language have different effects.

Pupils may find identifying examples of imagery/language challenging.

Pupils could use the modelled examples and further discuss the imagery and language used in those examples.

Imagery - the use of vivid and sensory language that appeals to the reader's senses, creating vivid mental pictures and enhancing the emotional impact of the poem
Atmosphere - the feeling or mood created in a section or whole of a text
Visual - relating to the sense of sight
Aural - relating to the sense of hearing