The poet is setting in the night in London. The speaker perceives the scene thought sign, for example what he sees in the streets and also with hearing, in the line 5-8. The poet sees that the living conditions of the people are appalling, because of fatigue, misery, sorrow and terrible. The word “chartered” suggests a society dominated by commercial profit where even nature is controlled by economic interest. Blake was used to use metaphor; for example, manacles, so manacles and shackles for the legs would be seen on convicts, perhaps passing along the streets on their way to prison or, commonly in London Blake’s time on their way to ships, for transportation to Australia. In the poem, Blake imagines the mind as a forge where “manacles” are made and metaphorically identifies them with religion, political institutions, marriage laws. With this metaphor Blake reveal that society and institutions oppress man depriving him of the innocence and happiness of Childhood. He also condemned industrialization which exploited children and women and contributed to man’s unhappiness and repression.