“The Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake is a poem describing the exploitation of children that society unfortunately finds to be socially acceptable. Blake’s anger is felt throughout the poem as he ___ blames the parents and church for allowing the ongoing suffering to the children. Child labor is a major element discussed along with the reoccurring reminder of the conditions the chimney sweepers were forced to endure. Despite all of the harsh experiences, the children’s’ innocence is evident as they remain hopeful and optimistic in the unfair society. The poem explores the contrast of the unruly child labor paired with childhood innocence that makes up the chimney sweeper’s dark reality.
William Blake starts out the poem by revealing the …show more content…
The coffins imply the present and what the chimney sweepers have to look forward to in the future. They can already be viewed as lifeless because they have neither freedom nor childhood, which is the same reality they will have once they encounter death and are put into a coffin. The names of sweepers he mentions are, “Dick, Joe, Ned, and Jack” (11). The common names do not stand out and the author does this for a reason. The names are not memorable just as the chimney sweepers were seen as labor and not children in this time period. The constrast to the dark, dreary reality came in the latter park of Tom’s dream. It describes the life after the coffins, Heaven. Tom’s dream shows the innocence they can experience and freedom after they are freed from the child labor responsibilites known as “their bags” here on earth (17). This is the only time in the poem where children are playing and acting as children should. The visit from the angel is conflicting because it seems to be supporting child labor while giving Tom unrealistic optimism. It allows him to see the joys that are to come but encourages him to do his job as told. The angel explains to him “if he’d be a good boy, He’d have God for his father, and never want joy” (19-20). By being “good”, it encourages him to continue sweeping chimneys and cope with the unfairness in his life. There is …show more content…
Black relates to the dark reality the chimney sweepers endure daily. The darkness they experience inside the chimney and the physical color black from the soot after sweeping. In this poem the chimney and coffin have the same meaning, death. The coffin signifies death and even though the children aren’t physically dead, their life as children is dead. White is related to the childhood innocence. It is seen to describe Tom’s hair before it was cut for his job and the link with the lamb. White is also used to describe their bodies as they ascend into Heaven during Tom’s vision of a better childhood. The colors in this poem help the reader to feel both sympathy and joy when
William Blake starts out the poem by revealing the …show more content…
The coffins imply the present and what the chimney sweepers have to look forward to in the future. They can already be viewed as lifeless because they have neither freedom nor childhood, which is the same reality they will have once they encounter death and are put into a coffin. The names of sweepers he mentions are, “Dick, Joe, Ned, and Jack” (11). The common names do not stand out and the author does this for a reason. The names are not memorable just as the chimney sweepers were seen as labor and not children in this time period. The constrast to the dark, dreary reality came in the latter park of Tom’s dream. It describes the life after the coffins, Heaven. Tom’s dream shows the innocence they can experience and freedom after they are freed from the child labor responsibilites known as “their bags” here on earth (17). This is the only time in the poem where children are playing and acting as children should. The visit from the angel is conflicting because it seems to be supporting child labor while giving Tom unrealistic optimism. It allows him to see the joys that are to come but encourages him to do his job as told. The angel explains to him “if he’d be a good boy, He’d have God for his father, and never want joy” (19-20). By being “good”, it encourages him to continue sweeping chimneys and cope with the unfairness in his life. There is …show more content…
Black relates to the dark reality the chimney sweepers endure daily. The darkness they experience inside the chimney and the physical color black from the soot after sweeping. In this poem the chimney and coffin have the same meaning, death. The coffin signifies death and even though the children aren’t physically dead, their life as children is dead. White is related to the childhood innocence. It is seen to describe Tom’s hair before it was cut for his job and the link with the lamb. White is also used to describe their bodies as they ascend into Heaven during Tom’s vision of a better childhood. The colors in this poem help the reader to feel both sympathy and joy when