Read the poem 'London' by William Blake and answer the question given below :

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 Infants cry of fear,
In every voice: in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear

How the Chimney-sweepers cry
Every blackning Church appalls,
And the hapless Soldiers sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls

But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlots curse
Blasts the new-born Infants tear
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse

Which of the following techniques does the poet use to emphasize the feeling of bleakness that affects everyone and from which there seems to be no escape ?

Question

Read the poem 'London' by William Blake and answer the question given below :

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 Infants cry of fear,
In every voice: in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear

How the Chimney-sweepers cry
Every blackning Church appalls, 
And the hapless Soldiers sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls

But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlots curse
Blasts the new-born Infants tear 
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse

Which of the following techniques does the poet use to emphasize the feeling of bleakness that affects everyone and from which there seems to be no escape ?

Accepted Answer

The poet uses **repetition** to emphasize the feeling of bleakness that affects everyone and from which there seems to be no escape. Here's why:

*   **Justification for Repetition (Option 1):** The poem is saturated with repetition at multiple levels. The most obvious is the repetition of "every" in the second stanza ("In every cry of every Man, / In every Infants cry of fear, / In every voice: in every ban"). This relentless repetition of "every" underscores the pervasiveness of suffering; it's *not* isolated, but affects *everyone* without exception. The repetition of "marks" in the first stanza ("Marks of weakness, marks of woe") similarly highlights the universality of suffering etched onto the faces of Londoners. The repetition of "cry" also emphasizes the constant presence of suffering. This constant, repeated exposure to suffering creates a sense of inescapable bleakness. The structure of the poem itself, with each stanza focusing on a different segment of society, further reinforces the idea that no one is immune.

*   **Why Oxymoron (Option 2) is Incorrect:** While there might be subtle tensions or ironies in the poem, there isn't a clear, direct oxymoron (a figure of speech containing words that seem to contradict each other) used to create the overall feeling of inescapable bleakness. The poem relies more on accumulation of negative imagery and repetition than on direct contradictory phrases.

*   **Why Personification (Option 3) is Incorrect:** While there *might* be instances that could be interpreted as personification (e.g., "the Marriage hearse"), personification is not the *primary* technique used to convey the all-encompassing bleakness. The poem's impact comes more from the accumulation of suffering experienced by *people* and the repetitive emphasis on its universality.

*   **Why Contrast (Option 4) is Incorrect:** While there are implicit contrasts (e.g., between the Church's supposed holiness and its "blackning"), the poem's dominant technique is not contrast. The overwhelming feeling of bleakness is achieved through the *accumulation* of similar negative images and the *repetition* of key words and phrases that emphasize the pervasiveness of suffering. The poem doesn't primarily rely on juxtaposing opposing ideas to create its effect; it relies on hammering home the idea that suffering is everywhere.