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1. JOHN MILTON The subject of the poem, Milton represents what the speaker sees as England's former glory. More specifically, Milton exemplifies all the values that have failed to make their way into 19th-century England—values having to do with religious devotion, purity, and duty. Invoking Milton in the very first line, the speaker argues that England would be better off if the famous poet were still alive, thereby indicating that Milton was a perfect embodiment of everything the country now lacks. This is why the speaker asks Milton to give the people of England "manners, virtue, freedom, [and] power." That the poem focuses so intensely on Milton as a symbol of the country's historical greatness underlines the human tendency to look to the past in order to find a productive way forward. In this sense, Milton is more than a representation of England's former splendor, but also a guiding presence the speaker hopes will lead the nation into a better future. Where this symbol appears in the poem: • Lines 1-2 • Lines 7-14 2. THE NATURAL WORLD For Romantic poets like William Wordsworth, the natural world is inseparable from divinity and religion. Accordingly, nature functions in "London, 1802" as a symbol of godliness and purity. To praise Milton, the speaker compares him to natural elements, likening his soul to a bright and powerful star and his voice to the sea. These similes present Milton as wholesome and significant, starkly contrasting the way the speaker characterizes 19th-century England. Whereas the speaker uses the beauty and power of nature to describe Milton, the speaker calls upon uglier images of nature to depict England in 1802. Indeed, the speaker calls England a "fen / Of stagnant waters," representing it as a marshy swamp. Considering that the Romantic poets believed divinity was wrapped up in nature, this is an especially startling image, since it suggests that England has failed to harness the beauty of the natural world. In this way, the natural world symbolizes Milton's purity and a certain religious harmony while also reminding readers that society is in decline and has lost touch with the simple, fundamental gifts of life. With this in mind, the poem's celebration of nature launches a subtle critique of the Industrial Revolution, chastising England for focusing on the industrial world instead of reaping what there is to gain from the environment. Where this symbol appears in the poem: • Lines 2-3: “ she is a fen / Of stagnant waters:” • Lines 9-10: “Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart: / Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea:”