London. By William Blake (1757-1827)

Image from http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/

London street. From www.flickr.com/photos/ronaldhanko/3281662345/

I wander through each chartered street,
Near where the chartered Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet 
Marks of wakness, marks of woe.


In every cry of every man,
In every infant´s cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forged manacles I hear:


How the chimney-sweeper´s cry
Every blackening church appalls,
And the hapless solider´s sigh
Runs in blood down palace walls.


But most, through midnight streets I hear
How the youthful harlot´s curse
Blasts the new-born infant´s tear,
And blights with plagues the marriage hearse.