Rhetorical Devices In The Chimney Sweeper By William Blake

“The Chimney Sweeper”, a narrative poem by William Blake, uses rhetorical devices to explore the hardships of true salvation through literal and figurative language. The use of imagery, symbolism, and metaphor create the tone of misery regarding both the speaker and little Tom Dacre. The use of these devices create both a surface and deep reading of the text. Blake published the poem in 1794, which was the era of child labor in England. The industrial revolution was the start of large quantities of children working in facilities such as factories and chimneys. Children were desirable employees; they required less pay, and were small enough to fit in to places where adults could not. Most children were sold into orphanages as workers, though …show more content…
The use of pathos draws in the audience through vivid imagery. “So your chimneys I sweep and in soot I sleep” (Blake) William Blake uses both of these tactics to present the tone of guilt to the reader. The word “you” gives the audience the shame of having a role in why these little children are in misery. This line builds up to the first reference of religion describing Tom Dacre’s hair. “That curled like a lambs back” (Blake) A lamb is considered to be a child of God. On the contrary, other individuals have argued that the child’s hair is simply just as it is stated; as curly as a lambs back. Readers use the next line to argue this point of simplicity, “you know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair.” (Blake). Though this argument is valid in a literal sense, it can also be interpreted figuratively as a religious reference. In relation, it is considerably difficult to “unsee” a point of view once you have interpreted the …show more content…
As the author he was successfully able to intertwine imagery with symbolism in a way that they coexist with each other. In addition, without imagery there would not be symbolism in this poem. The word soot is mentioned twice within the poem. In both instances soot is mention in the context that symbolizes death, darkness, and misery. Though it can also be inferred in a literal sense that when soot is mentioned it is directing the reader towards the idea that these children worked incredibly hard and long days, that they inevitably sleep in soot. Often times writers use colors to exemplify symbols within a poem to contribute to the underlying theme or message. In relation to this idea, William Blake uses the color white to signify innocence and the adolescence of the chimney sweepers. He continues with this pattern of innocence in line #. ”And so he was quiet, As Tom was a-sleeping he had such a sight!” These two lines are similar to a nursery rhyme for children. The child like feeling that the language gives off is juxtaposed to the setting; a dark, scary life of horrid