Compare London and My Last Duchess: Grade 9 Thesis & Quotes (AQA)

Quick Comparison Grid (The “Ninja Cheat Sheet”)

1. The Nature of Control: “Chartered” Streets vs. “Tamed” Sea-Horses

London:

• Blake uses the repetition of “chartered” to show that the state has attempted to own and map everything, even the “Thames” (nature).
• The metaphor of “mind-forged manacles” suggests that the state’s control is so complete that the people have internalized their own imprisonment.
• Elite Link: The “chartering” of London is a commercial act—the state sees the city and its people as assets to be managed and exploited for profit.

My Last Duchess:

• The Duke treats his wife as a commodity or a piece of art (“That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall”). He controls who sees her by pulling a “curtain.”
• The metaphor of Neptune “taming a sea-horse” at the end of the poem reveals the Duke’s worldview: he sees himself as a god-like figure whose role is to break the spirit of anything “wild” or natural.
• Elite Link: The Duke’s control is an act of “taming”—he cannot stand the Duchess’s natural joy because it is something he cannot own or “charter” with his name.

Explore: Both poets show that power is obsessed with mapping and taming the world, but while Blake shows this as a government policy, Browning shows it as a personality disorder.

2. The Corruption of the Innocent: The Chimney-Sweeper vs. The Duchess

London:

• Blake highlights the exploitation of children (“the Chimney-sweeper’s cry”) and the “Harlot,” showing how the system forces the innocent into corruption and early death.
• The “blackening Church” is a symbol of moral hypocrisy—the institution that should protect the child is the one that benefits from his labor.
• Elite Link: The “blood” running down “Palace walls” suggests that the luxury of the elite is literally built on the deaths of the poor.

My Last Duchess:

• The Duchess is presented as naturally innocent and joyful (“A heart… too soon made glad”). Her “smiles” were a gift she gave to everyone, which the Duke found insulting to his “rank.”
• The Duke’s “commands” to stop her smiles are a chilling abuse of power, showing that he would rather have a dead, controlled object than a living, happy human.
• Elite Link: The Duke’s obsession with his “nine-hundred-years-old name” is his version of the “Palace walls”—a symbol of inherited power that justifies his cruelty.

Explore: Both poems show that innocence is a threat to power. In London, the system grinds it down; in My Last Duchess, the individual snuffs it out.

3. Structure: The Prison of the Quatrain vs. The Mask of the Couplet

London:

• The rigid ABAB rhyme scheme and repetitive quatrains create a sense of inescapable, cyclical misery. The poem itself feels “chartered” and restricted.
• The cyclical structure (starting and ending in the streets) suggests that for the poor of London, there is no exit from the “manacles.”
• Elite Link: The heavy use of caesura and end-stopped lines creates a “stuttering” pace that reflects the “weakness” and “woe” of the citizens.

My Last Duchess:

• The poem is a Dramatic Monologue written in iambic pentameter and heroic couplets. This highly controlled form reflects the Duke’s desire for total order and dominance.
• However, the heavy use of enjambment (sentences running over the lines) suggests that the Duke’s true, murderous nature is “spilling out” despite his attempt to sound sophisticated.
• Elite Link: The Duke controls the narrative entirely—the Duchess has no voice, just as the poor in Blake’s London have no voice, only “cries.”

Explore: Blake uses structure to enact the prison, while Browning uses structure to enact the jailer—both use form to show how power restricts freedom.

Context Comparison (AO3 Power Move)

Elite Insight: Blake’s “London” is a map of a corrupt society, while Browning’s “Duchess” is a portrait of a corrupt soul. Both argue that the greatest sin of power is the desire to turn a living, “holy” human being into a “chartered” or “painted” object.

Exam Sentence Starters

1. “While Blake presents a systemic, widespread oppression where the state ‘charters’ every aspect of life, Browning explores the narcissistic tyranny of the individual aristocrat…”
2. “Both poets utilize the metaphor of ‘taming’ or ‘chartering’ to describe the abuse of power: Blake through the mapping of the Thames, and Browning through the Duke’s ‘commands’ to his wife…”
3. “The ‘mind-forged manacles’ in London serve as a psychological parallel to the ‘curtain’ in My Last Duchess, as both represent the elite’s desire to control what is seen and thought…”
4. “Blake’s use of rigid quatrains mirrors the inescapable misery of the poor, whereas Browning’s use of enjambment within heroic couplets reveals the Duke’s hidden instability…”
5. “Contextually, Blake’s radical critique of the Industrial Revolution parallels Browning’s Victorian critique of the Renaissance elite, as both poets expose the lethal consequences of absolute power…”

FAQs

What is the best poem to compare with London?

My Last Duchess is perfect for power and control. You can also compare it to Ozymandias for the fall of power, or Checking Out Me History for institutional oppression.

What is the best poem to compare with My Last Duchess?

London is excellent for tyranny and corruption. Alternatively, compare it to Ozymandias for the arrogance of leaders, or Kamikaze for social pressure.

What is the best theme linking London and My Last Duchess?

The Abuse of Power and Control—specifically, how those in authority (whether a government or a husband) try to strip away the humanity and freedom of those beneath them.

What quotes should I compare between London and My Last Duchess?

• “Chartered street” (London) vs. “I gave commands” (Duchess)—the act of exerting total authority.
• “Mind-forged manacles” (London) vs. “The curtain I have drawn for you” (Duchess)—the psychological nature of control.
• “Blackening Church” (London) vs. “Nine-hundred-years-old name” (Duchess)—the use of tradition and institution to justify cruelty.

How do I compare structure in London and My Last Duchess?

Blake uses rigid, repetitive quatrains to mirror the inescapable nature of the city’s misery. Browning uses a Dramatic Monologue with heroic couplets to mirror the Duke’s obsession with control, while using enjambment to show his underlying instability. Both use form to reflect the nature of the power they are critiquing.

What is a Grade 9 thesis for London vs. My Last Duchess?

“While Blake presents a systemic, systemic prison where the state ‘charters’ every aspect of human life, Browning explores the narcissistic, individual tyranny of the aristocracy, exposing how power seeks to commodify the human spirit.”

Read Next

• London Revision Sheet
• My Last Duchess Revision Sheet
• Power & Conflict Comparisons Hub