In both poems, “the Emigree” and “London”, Both poets present the power of place as burdensome and internally-conflicting as both Rumens and Blake structure place as a reflection of humanity and identity as they simultaneously mourn and critique a place that was once culturally-significant and elegant. Whilst rumens depicts the power of place through an immigrant perceptive revealing how complicit change in nationality does not severe the cultural bounds and heritage of place. Blake uncovers power of place through the steadily increasing industrialization of the city London which eventually erodes at both the place and the people of London, conveying place as a fragile concept that should be protected by both its inhabitants and not economically exploited by money-driven individuals. Both poets introduce a similar melancholic tone which frames their poems, Rumen’s begins the Emigree with nostalgia and subtle desperation through her speech explaining “There was once a country I called home..” which reveals the presence and influence of her home country still remains stagnant within her conscience expressing place as an identity that structures the persona of an individual emphasized through “Once” which further employs the distance and ancient nature of the city although reinforced by “home” which ends the line could convey and finalize the notion that the place still remains and will always remain as her “home”. However, this is followed by an ellipsis which could perhaps reveal moral uncertainty or a loss of memory due to the erasure of her original national identity. Thus, Rumen converts the physical aspect of her city into both internalized psychological grief and emotional pleasure as the memories remind her of identity. Displaying the dynamic and influence of place upon individuals. Similarly, this notion is effectively depicted through London and Blake’s beginning statement where he “wanders through each chartered street” Blake employs a first-person narrative which physically inserts him into the poem, so his words serve as a direct criticism to the transformation of London which he views as fundamentally-wrong urging this change to be revoked, this is expressed through the metaphor “chartered” which frames the streets of London to be codified and privatized by institutions ill-willfully revoking community whilst painfully subjecting the people of London. Blake’s repetition of “chartered” this time employed upon “Thames” could perhaps serve as an oxymoronic and symbolic phrase revealing that even nature once bound and free has been owned and tamed by authority. This highlights how exploitation of power upon place can strip freedom and rights. Although, Blake expresses a similar sense of uncertainty just as Rumens, contemplating through the insightful verb “wander” which could perhaps show his hope and belief in the system to undergo reformation his pondering equates to support for dismantling a corrupt society to replace it with the cities initial and once prevailing equality. Thus, Blake uses power of place to suggest it can be unjustly ruined and eroded by those who do not fear its power which causes the marginalization of the lower classes and a deficit in freedom. Continually, Rumens introduces a political aspect to her poem, as she explains that “It may be at war,It may be sick with tyrants” which implies a profound love for her country as she attempts to purposefully separate its economic damages from its beauty and significance. This is further reinforced by “sick” which personifies the country and perhaps establishes that it is solely “sick” and will eventually heal from its illness which is that of the metaphorical poison introduced by the “tyrants” this converts her simple immigrant history into a more complicated dynamic suggesting that the she may have migrated due to circumstances that offered her no choice. This introduces the saddened aspect of war or poverty which is also portrayed in London signifying how a corrupt government can alter a country that was once a home. Although, the use of caesura in the line could equate to her attempt to blatantly ignore reality and see her country through a falsely-constructed rose-tinted perceptive rather complicity accept its morally damaged and fractured nature, instead she chooses to filter out reality. Rumens may have done this to portray the grief of immigration, as she refuses to accept the country as it is and manipulates it to soothe the psychological weight of being stripped of nationality. Rumens echoes the influence of place to be emotionally overwhelming explaining the choice to distort from reality. In Contrast, Blake constructs London to solely confront and depict reality, which provides nor exception or false relief to deny reality. This is expressed through the “mind-forged manacles’ which purposefully conveys the psychological chains inflicted on the people to control and condemn them, the metaphor implies forged chains structured by institutions and accepted by the victimized individuals. Blake critiques both dynamics portraying this abuse of power as immoral through the “forged” which displays an act of force and power whilst also confronts the people for allowing these chains to remain stagnant and manifest. From a Marxist perspective this could allude to false-class-conscience where the poor accept the systematic injustice placed upon them. Blake could have illustrated this perspective to show the lower class that they do not have to accept these standards, which is portrayed through Blakes grotesque and brutal imagery of “the blood” that “runs down palace walls”. This could be foreshadowing the eventual revolution employed due to the prior French Revolution which Blake suggests will cause the people to rebel in order to reclaim the place in which they were once familiar with. The use of the “palace” could signify how this deliberately targets nobles or high powers whose authority will be shattered, by the people’s grief and desire of their was significant city. Blake uses this to incite change on both accounts, warning those in power to become more morally-righteous and encouraging the people protest against a systematically corrupt government. Both aspects symbolizing how place can enhance the will of people and the cruelty of humanity. Throughout Emigree Rumens continues to reinforce the speakers perceptive surrounding her nation purposefully using the reoccurring metaphor of sunlight which is both “branded” on her which suggests ownership or the powerful influence of her country upon her that it feels physically imprinted, and how she cannot rid her tongue of it, that it “tastes of sunlight” the use of the sun could perhaps symbolize the early, and golden view she has of her city as she converts it into an almost fairy-tale like dream. Rumens remains personifying the city. Displaying it “takes her dancing” which shows the comfort she finds in her genuine identity. Although this is quickly diminished as her dream metaphorically converts into a nightmare. As her country “mutters death” this reveal the appalling and disturbing reality, defining her nation for what it truly is. The use of “death” conveys the potentially irrevocable and broken nature of her city. As “death” is final and cannot be altered. The speaker finalizes her poem through her “shadow falls” as “evidence of sunlight” the introduction of shadow could perhaps show two individuals one which is reality and one a facade built as a barrier to disregard moral complications. As it “falls” it shows acceptance and growth of the speaker who finally decides to accept the reality of her country. This is reinforced by the explanation, to be “as evidence of sunlight” which implies that she has overcome the psychological constraints of the past. However, the final “sunlight” depicts it as a beautiful and moral-reminder that her country is still her own, and will always remain her own. This is emphasized by the 9 lines in the final stanza which opposes the 8 lines in the other stanzas. Rumens may have illustrated this to reflect the growth and change, extending nationality beyond a place however the individual. Thus, the speaker is able to both mourn and appreciate her country internally and it is no longer a form of suffering. Finally, Blake symbolically finalizes his poem with the powerful oxymoronic phrase “marriage hearse” which contrasts love with death. Contextually, critiquing a patriarchal society which men sexually exploit women and transmit diseases to wives unknowingly, this is signified through the “Infants cry” which through birth physically represents the unjust and sick cyclical nature of the horrors within London, where infants are born with pain. This broadens the suffering of the people as Blake critiques this he opens the possibility for change through sympathy and moral confrontation. He openly depicts the terrifying power of place and its inability to cause deaths and widespread pain. To conclude, Both poets present power of place as deeply-conflicting and even physicalize the pain through genuine contextual truth like that of war or economic injustice. Both Rumens and Blake portray place as concept that can reflect internally upon the people and simultaneously reinforcing the idea that individuals must overcome and perhaps overpower their own place, which is shown through Emigree where the speaker becomes more morally and psychologically superior toward the power of her place. Whilst the inhabitants of London signify an uprise or physical defense for their beloved nation. Ultimately, Both poems explore the dynamic of power of place signifying it as largely influential and psychologically-conflicting.