The two poems that we are studying both talk about London and how the poet sees it. Wordsworth wrote the poem from London Bridge overlooking London. He came from a rural background in the Lake District which maybe shows that he wasn’t used to urban living and found the beauty in it as it was new and unusual to his normal daily life. On the other hand, Blake grew up in London and was used to the busy city so didn’t portray it in a good way. He seemed to see more negatives in the city and didn’t see the beauty that Wordsworth did. This could be because after living in the city his entire life, he didn’t stop to look around and see the beauty of his home but he was more aware of the bad side to it.

The titles of the poems are totally different to each other too. Blake wrote ‘London’ and Wordsworth wrote ‘composed on Westminster Bridge’ , Wordsworth's poem tells us where it was written in the title, which shows us exactly where he was when he wrote it and what he could see as he formed his poem. Blake's poem title is more vague and it doesn’t give us any clues in the title as to whether it is a negative or positive poem, all it tells us is that the poem is about London. Wordsworth wrote his poem from the bridge and described what he saw as he looked around, Blake wrote his poem as he was walking around the city streets at night whereas Wordsworth wrote it as the sun was coming up. The time of day that the poems were written might have an effect on the tone of the poem, when the sun is first coming up everything looks more hopeful and inviting than at night time when the sun has gone down and everything seems more dark and dangerous.

The river Thames is one of the main points in both poems, but is described very differently. ‘The river glideth at its own sweet will’ is how Wordsworth described it. This gives us the sense that the river is free and not restricted. Blake describes the river as ‘ the charter’d Thames does flow’ , this gives us a totally different impression of the same river. It makes it seem restricted and oppressing in total opposition to the way Wordsworth described it.

Another big difference between the two poems is the main subjects and the things that are mentioned in them. Wordsworth comments on the ‘temples’ , the ‘towers’ and the other big outstanding buildings and structures in London. He doesn’t mention the people of London or show how they feel about the city. Blake, on the other hand, describes mainly the people of London and how bad their lives are as they live there. He doesn’t mention the buildings that a visitor to the city might see, he talks about the people who live there every day and the things they experience.

‘In every cry of every man, in every infant's cry of fear’. Blake describes the people of London in a negative way and it seems like he thought of London being a bad place to live.

This has the effect on the reader of feeling sympathy for the people of London and not really making it a place you would want to visit whereas Wordsworth's poem would make the reader want to visit.

There is a lot of descriptive language in both poems but again they are opposite to each other, Wordsworth's poem uses lines such as ‘ a sight so touching in its majesty’, this shows us that he felt emotion towards London. The line also tells us that he was a fan of royalty and impressed by the wealth of the city and the sovereignty. Blake however doesn’t seem impressed by royalty in fact in my opinion i think he shows how much he doesn't like it in his poem, we see this in the line ‘ the hapless soldier's sigh their blood run down the palace walls’. This might show us that he blames the royals for the death of the soldiers and does not see the beauty in it as Wordsworth does.

‘All that mighty heart is lying still’ is a line from Wordsworth's poem which personifies London as a woman , sleeping and lying still. This gives the reader the impression that London is a calm , gentle place. Blake however describes London very differently. The line ‘mind forg’d manacles’ makes me think that Blake believes the people of London are restricted in their thoughts and that maybe he saw the city as corrupt.

Wordsworth has written his poem in sonnet form which is usually what poets use when they are writing about love or admiration. This is again showing the reader the love and admiration he seemed to have for the place he was writing about. Blake's poem is written in stanzas which could show that he wanted to imply that there was segregation in the city especially between the upper and lower classes.

In conclusion both poems have a powerful effect on the reader but in very different ways. Wordsworth's poem shows us London in a calm and peaceful form. Blake's poem shows us London in a very dark and negative way. It shows it as quite a scary , anxious place to live which is a total contradiction on Wordsworth's idea and picture of the perfect, wonderful London he shows the reader from the bridge.

Some may proclaim ‘I am not affected by advertising’ but in today’s society this is simply unattainable. In every walk of life people will read, see and listen to an advertisement of some form. For example, if you live in a major city you may be more inclined to see an advertisement because where the more densely populated areas are more people will see the advertisements. Companies may rely on these major cities to provide popularity for their products as more people are exposed to the adverts. If you walk around London for example, you find adverts on the tube lines, billboards, shops, busses and other modes of transport. A multi-million pound company; ‘Pretty Little Thing’ in May 2020 decided to paint one of the famous London taxis pink. This created publicity for the company and every time someone sees the taxi they are reminded of the company. This would have affected many people.

Furthermore, some may argue that they’re not affected by advertising as they aren’t on social media or any form of internet device. However, they still may read newspapers and watch the Television. Not to mention we all get posts delivered to us, some maybe more than others. So we are all affected by advertising in some shape or form. Maybe just some more than others. We also don’t realise how we are surrounded by it so much.

Butterfly

Butterfly

Don’t break in my hands

I know that if I let you go

You’ll fly away

But… Please stay

I can fix you

We need each other

You need me

And I need you

Show me your broken wings and battle scars

Tell me your every story

I won’t laugh I promise

This may be a spring day, but summer will come

We can face this together

You will heal slowly

We’ll heal each other

Know that whatever happens, there is one person who understands you right here

Remember that

For me

You never walk alone

Homelessness is an individual choice. Explain your point of view.

(500-750 words)

Homelessness is a major issue in the UK. An increasing number of people become homeless everyday, for different reasons. There are currently 280,000 people who are homeless in the UK. But the main point of this essay is “Homelessness is an individual choice”. How can homelessness be considered a life choice? Well first, why would someone leave all the best things behind; a cosy bed, comfort, safety, food, health? They wouldn’t leave all that just to live on dirty streets and in horrible weather conditions. Cold and wet, smelly and dirty, these are the conditions that people who live on the street will face. The reason why people become homeless is due to a range of issues such as abuse, family problems and eviction. Did you know that 17% of rough sleepers first became homeless because of being evicted from their homes/flats? 13% of the rough sleepers first became homeless because when they came out of prison, they didn’t have anywhere to go and the biggest cause of homeless is abuse. 31% of people who first became homeless are by family or relationship breakdown. These are only some of the causes of homelessness.

First, why would anyone choose the worst option? They must feel so desperate that there is no option but to be made homeless. For example, abuse. Abuse is one of the main causes of homelessness. It can come in many shapes and sizes: verbal abuse, physical abuse and emotional abuse. When you’re living in an abusive household, it could be very dangerous, that is why teenagers leave to seek some much calmer refuge but end up becoming homeless. Eviction is, again, another main cause of homelessness. This is where people get kicked out of their homes/flats. 17% of the homeless people experienced this. Instead of people being evicted, the home managers should talk it out and allow them to seek support before kicking them out. Another cause is parole. When people are coming out of prison, they might not have a home to go to, which means they will spend time on the streets. All these causes of homelessness are down to a lack of a support network of family and/or friends.

Secondly, homeless people do not enjoy the undignified way they’re treated by the majority of people. They dislike being considered invisible as it denies their very existence. If they are acknowledged then it reminds them of their common humanity. When they are ignored it takes away their identity as human beings, and makes them feel useless. Homeless people are treated like this because they are different. People don’t realise that they are human too and need to consider their feelings, for example, Big Issue sellers, when nobody buys their big issue they still appreciate a greeting from people who walk by even though they haven’t bought anything.

Another point is that the homeless are all too often the subject of harsh judgement. The general public assumes that someone is homeless by choice. They do not consider the causes of homelessness and the downward spiral which takes them out on the streets. For someone with a supportive family and a network of friends, becoming homeless is unthinkable. If only people stopped to think instead of being judgemental.

There is a possibility that an individual will choose to be a “hidden homeless” person. For example. If life at home is so bad they may take this option by using temporary accommodation such as bed and breakfast, friends’ sofas for a night or two. The individual may not have a permanent home so they have by default chosen “hidden homelessness”.

I read a book called “A Street Cat Named Bob” in which James Bowen had found himself homeless through no fault of his own. He had family relationship problems and was left vulnerable at a young age. His life spiralled out of control and unfortunately he temporarily turned to drugs, thinking this was the answer. When he rescued a cat off the streets, he realised that there was more to life. Looking after Bob (the cat) helped him recover his self-esteem by giving him a purpose in life. He soon ditched the drugs and became a Big Issue seller, eventually leaving the homeless life behind him.

As you can see, I believe that homelessness is not an individual choice. Those who are unfortunate to find themselves in such an awful predicament, are also powerless to do much about it, as it is a vicious circle. Without the security of a home, it’s almost impossible to gain employment and without employment, it is impossible to find a home.

Homelessness is an individual choice. Explain your point of view.

(500-750 words)

It has long been assumed that homelessness is a choice. When in fact sometimes homelessness is prevention or relief. The number one cause of homelessness is domestic violence. Being the receiver of domestic violence isn’t a choice, is it? So why are we, as humans, so quick to judge?

Destitute and outcast, economically challenged and misunderstood, 34% of all homeless people are under the age of 24. About 80% of homeless youths (aged 12 to 21) use drugs or alcohol as a means to self medicate to deal with traumatic experiences and abuse they face on the streets. A life in which the majority of them didn’t choose. Homelessness is a circumstance not always a choice. We should respect those who have had no other option and see homelessness as a last resort.

After reading a book, Stone Cold, written by Robert Swindells in 1993 (28 years ago) I have learnt some of the harsh realities that come with being homeless. Such as people have no respect for others. One man's bedroom is another man's lavatory. You could be sleeping alone in a doorway one night and a random misanthropic drunken loner could approach you and urinate all over your ‘bedroom’. Appalling, startling and shocking, right? But to me, these are the ‘hidden secrets’ of being homeless. The things nobody knows and yet they are as quick as lightning to make a judgment. Prejudice. ‘They’re all dossers’ or ‘druggies’ when in fact they’re just the same as you and I; human beings. The book also educated me on how it feels to be percepted as an ‘outcast’ of society, the dirty, filthy and rotten looks. The simple things which people are unaware of. These people haven’t all chosen this lifestyle. This may not always be an individual choice.

However, on the other hand one of the top reasons for homelessness is lack of affordable housing. This again, is a circumstance not a choice. Across the UK, Wales, the smallest country in the UK, has the most poverty. This is not a choice, this is a circumstance. Another primary factor of homelessness is diminishing the range of affordable living options. Rented accommodation and government funding has rapidly declined. To reiterate, this is NOT a choice but a circumstance. We should always educate ourselves before making judgements. The Homeless experience so much many of us never will. Over 50% of young people in shelters and on the streets report their parents told them to leave or knew they were leaving. However, they didn’t care. Imagine that destitute, anxious and lonely feeling that even your parents aren’t there.

Another reason as to why people may find themselves homeless is due to substance abuse. Many teenagers when they find themselves homeless get mixed within the wrong crowds of people. The longer you become homeless the more experienced you are with how to deal with being homeless. People as young as fourteen hang around with 28 year olds. Watching a documentary on a boy called Luke has taught me how reliant people are on drugs when living on the streets. Half of all homeless people first take to the streets under the age of 21, many of these don’t know how to get help and will end up sleeping rough. Whilst on the streets many people are exposed to prostitution, crime and drugs. These three things no child should ever be exposed too. Drugs can lead to poor mental health which again isn’t an option that any individual would like to choose. Exasperated, scared, helpless; these homeless people lay on the dirty streets alone at night.

Overall, personally homelessness isn’t a choice but it’s a circumstance that is out of many people’s control. We shouldn’t judge them but we should help them. Many of them don’t know where to turn and what to do. Just imagine, what would you do if you were them?

Dear diary,

Today is Christmas Day. Normally I would be spending it with my lovely wife and 3 children but unfortunately that’s not possible. I was promised that I would spend Christmas with my family. “It will all be over by then,” they lied. Yet, here I am, destitute, cold, alone is what I thought. Spending another day the same as the previous. How wrong was I?

However, today was dissimilar to the days prior. It wasn’t as chaotic, challenging or brutal. It was in fact the opposite. Today was life changing. Memorable, calming, unexpected; on both sides we put our weapons down. We sang carols like ‘silent night’ . It was magical. Some of us even exchanged gifts. One of my friends kicked a football out of his trench by accident, instead of arguing the Germans joined in.

Today, Christmas Day, 1914, I can confidently say I have experienced some absurd sights I never thought I would ever experience in my life.

I could smell the mouth watering stench of sausages, my favourite. The Germans very kindly gifted us some sausages. For this, I will eternally be grateful. I’m relieved we have, as two nations, managed to create peace. I’m optimistic, but I truly believe this truce will stay for a short while. It’s giving everyone a holiday. I feel relieved that I managed to spend Christmas Day in a positive way for the majority. There was a sense of compassion and good will. Instead of rats and screams of grenades.

It’s certainly a day to remember.