9 Must-Read Poems about London

Poems about London capture the allure and vibrancy of this iconic city. These verses may describe the bustling streets, historic landmarks, and diverse culture that define London’s identity.

Poets often infuse these poems with nostalgia and wanderlust, inviting readers to wander through the city’s enchanting neighborhoods and experience its rich history and modern energy.

Through evocative language, these poems celebrate the spirit of London and its enduring influence as a source of inspiration and creativity for writers and artists around the world.

Poems about London Visual Representation

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‘London’ by William Blake exposes the dreadful realities of the poor who call the city home, placing particular blame upon the religious and political institutions that have seemingly turned a blind eye to the horror.

The poem laments both the dreadful state of the city and the sufferings of its citizens. In doing so, Blake references everything from landmarks like the Thames River and Buckingham Palace to the child chimney sweepers who worked to the detriment of their own health. Ultimately, the poem is a desperate plea to acknowledge and reverse the decline of their beloved city.

I wander thro' each charter'd street,

Near where the charter'd Thames does flow.

And mark in every face I meet

Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

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London Snow

by Robert Bridges

‘London Snow’ by Robert Bridges describes an early morning snowfall in London and the reactions of those who walk within it.

The poem is deeply connected to London, showing how the city changes under snowfall. Usually, London is busy, loud, and covered in dirt, but the snow makes it feel fresh and quiet. People wake up to a city that looks completely different, giving them a break from their usual routine. For a short time, London becomes a peaceful place, allowing people to appreciate their surroundings in a new way.

When men were all asleep the snow came flying,

In large white flakes falling on the city brown,

Stealthily and perpetually settling and loosely lying,

Hushing the latest traffic of the drowsy town;

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The Underground

by Seamus Heaney

‘The Underground’ by Seamus Heaney describes a husband’s dark and mythic pursuit of his wife through the London Underground.

This poem is set in London, inside the Underground system, and that setting shapes the whole atmosphere. The rush of people, the sound of footsteps, and the movement through tunnels all feel very real. Even though Heaney was Irish, this moment happened in a different city during a meaningful time in his life. London becomes a part of the memory. It is the background for this personal scene that he carries with him even years later.

There we were in the vaulted tunnel running,

You in your going-away coat speeding ahead

And me, me then like a fleet god gaining

Upon you before you turned to a reed

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The Wasps’ Nest

by George Macbeth

The speaker contemplates killing a queen wasp to avoid the swarms of offspring she will inevitably bring the next summer.

Although London is never explicitly mentioned in 'The Wasps' Nest', the urban setting in which it occurs is alluded to be London. This is due to the poem's nature as an allegory, recounting the events of the Battle of Britain in 1940 and 1941. The city underwent a barrage of attacks from German air forces for 57 consecutive nights, devastating much of the city.

In burning sulphur in their dug-out hangars

All bred wasps must die. Unless I kill her.

So I balanced assassination with genocide

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London, 1802

by William Wordsworth

‘London, 1802’ by William Wordsworth is an Italian sonnet that invokes Milton as a means of reclaiming England’s eroded moral values in the industrial age.

Plenty of English poets over the centuries have penned a poem about London. During the country's Industrial Revolution, these pieces were less than celebratory and made pointed critiques of the socio-economic decline of its urban communities. What sets Wordsworth's poem apart is that despite its title, the poem doesn't specifically address the city, instead using it as a symbol of the country's larger failings.

Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour:

England hath need of thee: she is a fen

Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,

Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,

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[London, my beautiful]

by F.S. Flint

‘[London, my beautiful]’ by F.S. Flint describes one speaker’s love for the city of London and how he feels the city improves others and himself.

London, my beautiful,

I will climb

into the branches

to the moonlit tree-tops,

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A Description of the Morning

by Jonathan Swift

‘A Description of the Morning’ by Jonathan Swift describes the various events happening one morning in London’s West End in the early 1700s.

Now hardly here and there a hackney-coach

Appearing, show'd the ruddy morn's approach.

Now Betty from her master's bed had flown,

And softly stole to discompose her own.

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Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802

by William Wordsworth

The poem, ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802, is a celebration of this city, referencing to the bridge over the River Thames.

Earth has not any thing to show more fair:

Dull would he be of soul who could pass by

A sight so touching in its majesty:

This City now doth, like a garment, wear

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London

by Samuel Johnson

To look back at a nation’s history from a poet’s perspective is an enriching exercise that enlightens modern readers regarding the follies and foibles of the age. Samuel Johnson’s ‘London’ is one such piece that throws light on the condition of 18th century England, especially London.

Tho’ Grief and Fondness in my Breast rebel,

When injur’d Thales bids the Town farewell,

Yet still my calmer Thoughts his Choice commend,

I praise the Hermit, but regret the Friend,

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9 Must-Read Poems about London

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9 Must-Read Poems about London

by William Blake

by Robert Bridges

by Seamus Heaney

by George Macbeth

by William Wordsworth

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