18 pages • 36 minutes read
William WordsworthLondon, 1802
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1807A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Decay of English Values
The dominant theme of “London, 1802” is that England at the turn of the 19th century is in a state of serious political, social, and cultural decay. While Milton and his time represent an era of vigorous public service and an attempt to effect real and fundamental political and social change, the Englishmen of the speaker’s day have lapsed into being self-centered and inert: “We are selfish men” (Line 6), the speaker laments. This supposed “selfish[ness]” stands in marked contrast to the active service and political engagement that defined Milton’s life and writing, and it is this selfishness which has in turn led to the total stagnation from which England now suffers: the speaker claims England is reduced to being “a fen [bog or marsh] / Of stagnant waters” (Line 2-3) instead of pulsing with worthwhile activity. What is more, the current state of England represents an outright betrayal of the kind of country Milton and his peers once strove to create, as the speaker accuses his contemporaries of giving up “their ancient English dower [inheritance] / Of inward happiness” (Lines 5-6). In giving up striving for virtuous public service, contemporary Englishmen have lost the “inward happiness” (Line 6) that should be both their birthright and their reward for emulating men like Milton.
Since this decay has infected all levels of society, from the official Anglican Church of England (“altar” [Line 3]), to the army and the old knightly ideals society once adhered to (“sword” [Line 3]), and to the cultural arena itself (“pen” [Line 3]), the speaker presents the situation of decay as dangerously omnipresent, as no part of England seems to have escaped. In suggesting that all of England is thus affected, the speaker hints that only a widespread and radical change could hope to restore England to its past glory. This nod towards drastic transformation is only enhanced by the speaker’s framing of his complaint as an address to Milton, as it suggests that what England may need most in 1802 is another attempt at revolution in order to reverse this decline and inspire Englishmen to greatness once more.
The Power of the Written Word
The thematic importance and power of the written word is stressed in both the content of the sonnet itself and in the speaker’s very act of writing the poem. Since the sonnet is addressed directly to John Milton—a hugely famous and important English writer—the speaker suggests from the opening invocation that writers can play significant roles in shaping the destinies of their countries: “Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour: / England hath need of thee” (lines 1-2). In claiming that it is a pity Milton is deceased (“thou shouldst be living” [Line 1]) and that “England hath need of thee” (Line 2, italics mine), the speaker asserts that a country without strong and influential cultural figures will lose its way, and that only the presence of such figures can help guard against the societal decay he is now witnessing.
In singling out the “pen” (Line 3) as one of the aspects of English society that has fallen into stagnation and inutility, the speaker explicitly defines the cultural arena as one of the spheres of activity in urgent need of rejuvenation. In composing his complaint in the form of a sonnet, the speaker is himself already actively engaged in seeking to influence public opinion and create literary texts of more value. Once again, the speaker’s choice of Milton as the sonnet’s addressee is significant: Since Milton was famous in his own day for using his writing to promote republican ideals and engage in the most pressing political debates of the time, the speaker is idealizing the kind of writer who seeks to actively participate in society instead of withdrawing into private intellectual endeavors. The sonnet thus functions as a call-to-arms not just to Englishmen in general, but to poets and writers in particular.
The Merits of Service
Another important theme in “London, 1802” centers upon the merits of service—in particular, public service. As noted above, Milton was renowned in his own day for playing an active role in Oliver Cromwell’s government and for using his writing as a form of direct political engagement, with the speaker’s use of Milton as an addressee emphasizing the importance of writers participating in the public arena. However, the merits of service can also be applied more generally to English society at large.
The speaker praises Milton for having “travel[led] on life’s common way” (Line 12, italics mine), with the term “common way” suggesting the public arena and Milton’s lively engagement with his fellow Englishmen. More importantly, the speaker praises the way in which Milton participated and served “in cheerful godliness” (Line 13), with the adjective “cheerful” depicting Milton as serving willingly and eagerly and the reference to “godliness” emphasizing his Christian piety and humility. The speaker stresses how Milton served his country without arrogance, concluding the poem with the statement, “yet thy heart / The lowliest duties on herself did lay” (Lines 13-14, italics mine), with the term “lowliest duties” suggesting that Milton did not consider himself above performing whatever it was necessary to do.
Finally, the fact that Milton’s “heart” (Line 13) willingly sought out to perform these services—“the lowliest duties on herself did lay” (Line 14, italics mine)—emphasizes that Milton acted as a free agent instead of being compelled to serve by any higher political or social power, further deepening the contrast between Milton and the “selfish men” (Line 6) that now dominate English society. In calling upon the figure of Milton to “raise us up” (Line 7) and inspire Englishmen afresh with “manners, virtue, freedom, [and] power” (Line 8), the speaker voices his explicit hope that his contemporaries will feel compelled to follow in Milton’s footsteps.
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