Analysis Of London By A S J Tessimond

According to information gathered from wikipedia, the poet behind the poem titled "London" began to publish in the 1920s in literary magazines; during which he published "Walls of Glass" in 1934, "Voices in a Giant City" in 1947 and "Selections" in 1958. The poem London by A. S. J. Tessimond describes London from the poet's personal perspective of the city. He personified the title with the use of "I am" as seen in 1, 6, 12. You can read the complete three stanza poem when you click here

The settings of the poem is sure citylike "…the city of two divided cities" "the city of people sitting and talking quietly" "the city whose fog will fall like a finger gently". In terms of structure, the three unequal stanzas of the poem are void of rhymes and rhythm; the 1st stanza of the poem holds 5lines, the second stanza is in 6lines while the third stanza is seven. The 1st stanza shows the social state in London as a city with two class division of the poor and the rich; the servants and the masters. The 2nd stanza pictured the living system of the
people in the city as regards the relationship and association with each other:

"I am the reticent, the private city,
The city of lovers hiding wrapped in shadows,
The city of people sitting and talking quietly
Beyond shut doors and walls as thick as a century,
People who laugh too little and too loudly,
Whose tears fall inward, flowing back to the heart."
The third stanza reflected the city's environmental and climatic manoeuvres by mentioning the gentleness of the fog, the always tactful approach of the dusk, the reflections of the city lamps at nighttimes.

A poem can be sweet, a poem with anaphora is sweeter. London by A.S.J. Tessimond has some anaphora the same as found in his poem titled "Advertising". In line 2 and 3 "Where the" commenced both lines while "The city of" commenced line 7 and 8 of the poem. It must be noted that the following line can be considered refrain (though not perfect refrain) "I am the city of two divided cities" in line 1, "I am the reticent, the private city" in line 6, "I am the city whose fog will fall like a finger gently" in line 12. There is an obvious hyperbole at the end of second stanza which goes thus "Whose tears fall inward, flowing back to the heart".

"People who laugh too little and too loudly" as seen in line 10 also caught attention. It described the social behavior of the people in London. Not only that, the line holds alliteration via the repetition of letter "L" in "laugh", "little" and "loudly". "Too little" and "too loudly" can be viewed as antithesis since the two phrases are contrasting.

Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)