In the first stanza of the poem, William Blake scribes "mark in every face I meet / Marks of weakness and marks of woe." This symbolizes that our world is submersed in self-pity and emptiness. We're always looking for something more, something of utmost desire. The second stanza reminds me of God calling His people of suffering out of despair. And the last stanza speaks of a corrupt youth in society, unable to change society's weaknesses. Perhaps none of us are capable of changing the world. Perhaps we all are. But that's why only a small few are willing to change people's ways and pull the world out of darkness and despair. The fact that it is called "London" symbolizes that perhaps it is told from someone's point of view who's against the Church of England. The phrase "marriage is like a hearse" shows the division of society.
The central purpose of the poem is to show that everyone deserves sympathy and understanding for their way of life. For example, when Blake is writing about the "Harlot's curse," he is showing some sympathy for the prostitutes in town. Also, the tone of the poem seems to be that Blake is not happy about how things destroy marriage. Perhaps this symbolizes that the greatest marriage of all is the marriage between the Church and with God. The fact that this is getting destroyed symbolizes the turmoil in society. And the "marriage hearse" could also symbolize King Henry's marriage. Perhaps the main imagery in this poem is about destruction. For example, the words "weakness" "woe" "cry" "fear" "manacles" "appalls" "black'ning" "blood" and "curse" all symbolize within themselves despair and agony. The central theme, in one sentence, is that people's lifestyles keep becoming distant from God; therefore, society is bleeding from it's own personal desires and destruction.
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