"London"

"London" has a very dark and cynical tone. The author mentions cries of various people and "marks of woe" (4). It seems like this poem describes a time after a period of darkness (but not necessarily the Dark Ages). "And the hapless Soldier's sigh runs in blood down Palace walls" (11-12). These lines stuck out to me like some time after a battle. It seems fitting because the inhabitants seem to be in despair. The part about the chimney sweeper and the blackening church means that there can be an actual black cloud over the city, or a black cloud of despair over the city. Either way, London is not in good shape.