Romanticism In William Blake's Songs Of Innocence And Experience

The era of literature known as Romanticism occurred during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Romantic Era was dominated by expression of social issues. One poet, in particular, used his voice as a poet to express his perception of the culture surrounding him. William Blake’s poetic series Songs of Innocence and Experience holds two poems, both entitled “The Chimney Sweeper,” and that epitomize the use of poetry to convey social issues in a cultural context. “The Chimney Sweeper” in Songs of Innocence is spoken by a young chimney sweeper. Written in 1789, this poem was a reflection of a culture that exploited children for the work that they could do for a nation inching toward industrialism. More specifically, this poem is Blake’s method of reaction to the horrific lives of children who were forced into the working class during the late eighteenth century urban societies of England (Dykstra 1). In the first stanza, Blake introduces an unknown speaker – a young chimney sweeper. In the second stanza, another chimney sweeper, younger than the first, is introduced. It is crucial to understand these viewpoints in order to understand how Blake was presenting a reaction to a cultural problem (McClard 11). By presenting the poem through the eyes of two young chimney sweeps, Blake further improves upon his poetic reaction. The speaker …show more content…
By utilizing the points of view of “innocence” and “experience,” Blake conveys a harsh reality of the lives of children during the urbanization of England. The poems reflect and illuminate the culture surrounding them and the issue of the exploitation of children. Because of the effectiveness of the poetic methods, William Blake can be seen as a near perfect example of a poet who used his voice to reflect the social and cultural issues of his