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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,
Introduction
Poem’s Name - London: A Poem In Imitation Of The Third Satire Of Juvenal
Author - Samuel Johnson
Genre - Novel, Psychological Fiction, Bildungsroman, Social novel, Domestic Fiction
Originally published - 1738
Language - British English
Literature Age - Neoclassical Age (Canonical Literature)
Synopsis: Official Spoiler Warning!
London, published in 1738, is Johnson's effort to both satirise and rise above the filthy world of London. The poem is an "imitation" of Juvenal's third Satire, which is believed to date from the first century. When London was published anonymously, the poem created enough of a stir for Boswell to record enthusiastically,
"here is an unknown poet, greater even than Pope.”
London is a political satire that encapsulates Juvenal's third satire and Juvenal's third parody focuses on society and culture. In this poem, Juvenal imagines a poet friend called Umbricius who has had enough of Rome and is moving to the countryside, eventually for the good.
This poem explores Johnson's perception of imitation through his idea of a poet and secondly his mastery of placing imagery in the framework of the heroic couplet through his steady insistence on generalisation.
Finally, several instances are cited from the poem to reflect on how Johnson dexterously employs the genre of imitation to provide a political and cultural critique of his age.
About the Poet and the Emergence of the Poem
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“Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged.”
- Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson was a renowned artist, poet, dramatist, and essayist during the neoclassical age of English writing, which contained the principle half of the eighteenth century. This age is otherwise called the Augustan Age, which alludes to the Augustan time of the Roman Empire when Latin writing and reasoning thrived.
Johnson captioned his poem "An Imitation of the Third Satire of Juvenal '' to straightforwardly name the motivation of the poem: the satirist Juvenal. Juvenal composed a progression of satires during the second century CE that study the decay and degeneration of the Roman Empire, much as Johnson's poem criticizes the destruction and degeneration of the city of London.
"London" is an imitation poem of 263 lines by Samuel Johnson and addresses the debasement, corruption, indecencies and vices prevailing and winning in London. The initial lines of the poem have been cited as controversial, with the writer saying goodbye to his companion who is leaving England.
The Poem’s Brief Up
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“Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”
-Samuel Johnson, The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. Vol 3
Johnson is not merely translating Juvenal's poem, but also updating it, finding modern parallels to the Latin original, in what has been dubbed a "imitation" of his classical source. Here, London stands in for Rome, “Thales” for Juvenal's friend Umbricius, and the Tuscan countryside, where Umbricius was on his way, stands in for Wales.
He presents readers with a scene: Exhausted by London's filth, crowds, and noise, as well as the difficulties of making a living as a writer, Thales (some scholars claim he is referring to Richard Savage, another hack writer who had been a friend of Johnson's) reveals some of Johnson's own grievances. Thales, the speaker's friend, departs London for Wales, then known as Cambria, in Johnson's poem.
In this context, "London" is an escapist narrative in which Thales chooses to flee a huge metropolis in order to avoid the vices that come with modern cities. He thinks he'll find solace in the countryside.
Thales criticises London's social and economic ills, citing the city's rising crime rate—including robbery, abuse, and murder—as well as the widening gap between the rich and the poor. The poem also addresses corruption and greed, focusing on how residents of London's "curs'd walls" commit themselves to vice and benefit while "unrewarded Science toils in vain."
In the poem, the evils plaguing London are personified as ghastly caricatures, a technique that allows Johnson to accurately represent the city's social and political ills. These afflictions are depicted as undermining London's social fabric, causing Thales' need to flee to Wales.
Analysis of Historical Context and Common Threads in His Writings
When Walpole used a combination of brutality, bribery, and print media hegemony to effectively suppress dissent. Attacks on his regime had become more accessible and regular by the late 1730s, triggering new attempts by his government to silence dissenting voices.
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“Another view of Robert Walpole, here from 1740. Walpole is depicted here offering his ass to kiss by those who are seeking “preferment” or positions in government.”
The poem also positioned itself as part of the growing opposition to the government of Sir Robert Walpole, who had dominated British politics since taking over as the de facto Prime Minister.
Johnson's assortment of poems sings with a sharp, erotic and sensual energy, wrestling with subjects as inestimable as salvation and as commonplace as playground fights.
The depth in his idyllic voice improves its ability to incapacitate; the wounds he takes at the shades of malice of society are exact and buzzing with demotic sound designing and free rhythms.
Influential Quotes by Johnson
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“Almost every man wastes part of his life attempting to display qualities which he does not possess.” - Samuel Johnson
“Praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its value only to its scarcity.” - Samuel Johnson
“No place affords a more striking conviction of the vanity of human hopes than a public library.” - Samuel Johnson
“Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.”
Signing Off
Reading such poetry is extremely valuable particularly because it pushes us as individuals to seek new viewpoints and break free from our ethical, moral, and intellectual barriers.
It's when you're reading the poem that's particularly evocative and meaningful, and you're subconsciously anticipating the poem's emotional catharsis in the climax.
Though prose gives one ample space to stretch out and bring the puzzle together in your own way but in my case poetry sits there on the shelf, searching for me, gazing at me, wondering why I am still so far behind.
Do give this classic poem a thorough reading and let me know if you can appreciate its deep-seated classicality.
My ratings for the book - 3.5 on 5
Get your copy from Amazon - London
Written By - Prakriti Chaudhary
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