William Blakes Chimney Sweeper Poems - 858 Words

Chimney sweeper Essay Writers and artists are influenced by the culture of their time. They respond to the world around them through their work. In the 18th century, England was plagued by the gruesome repercussions of the industrial revolution. One such repercussion was the child labor of the time, where young boys at the ages of five and six were for forced to work in harsh conditions, either sweeping chimneys or working in factories. William Blake used his romantic style of writing to commentate on these ever growing corruptions of the world. Blake’s Chimney Sweeper Poems use opposing ideas of innocence and experience to describe the world he sees by the use of literary devices. Blake uses strong imagery to represent the†¦show more content†¦The major idea he uses is that of Heaven and religion. In Songs of Innocence, Blake describes an angel who appears to a boy in a dream. The angel releases the boys from the black coffins and lets them free into a green plain with the sun high above and says that if he is a good boy he will never want because god will look after them. Blake makes a strong connection to the idea of Heaven. If you are good in life you will be with God and want for nothing in Heaven. This angel brings them salvation from the harsh world from out of a coffin, playing on the idea of death. Religion is also used in Songs of Experience though it is used more negatively. In the poem, the boy describes that his parents have, â€Å"gone up to church to pray† (SoE). This could represent the literal form of church or it could mean they have gone to the â€Å"big church† in the sky meaning heaven and have died, leaving the boy to fend for himself. However, the parents seem to have chosen the job for the boy and go to church and think nothing of their child. Heaven is also used generally by saying that this makes up a â€Å"heaven† of the boys’ unhappiness, meaning a huge, unconceivable amount (SoE). It is used paradoxically to t he praising of the â€Å"Priest and King,† meaning the Church and state, by the parents. Religion is used as salvation in Songs of Innocence and negatively Songs of Experience. While the two both have religious language, the two use their points of view to describe different ideas. TheShow MoreRelatedIn Many Ways, Poetry Has The Ability To Shape The Minds1226 Words   |  5 Pageswas William Blake. His poetry has inspired much change in both the past and the present. An analysis of â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper,† one of Blake’s most popular works, can help many to understand the significance of his work in a time period when social riot was visible in the public’s eyes. By exploring the writing style, structure and imagery in this poem, as well as identifying the importance of symbolism, a conclusion can be made concerning the purpose of this poem. Learning more about William BlakeRead More In William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience , many872 Words   |  4 PagesIn William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, many of the poems correlate in numerous aspects. For example, The Chimney Sweeper is a key poem in both collections that portrays the soul of a child The Chimney Sweeper in Innocence vs. The Chimney Sweeper in Experience In William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, many of the poems correlate in numerous aspects. For example, The Chimney Sweeper is a key poem in both collections that portrays the soul ofRead MoreSociological Criticism of William Blake’s Poetry Essay1506 Words   |  7 Pagescommunism and social inequality. William Blake, a Romantic poet, frequently wrote on the topic of class oppression and his opposition to the exploitation of the proletariat by the capitalists. Blake’s ideology and preference towards an equalitarian society quite closely mirror the theories of Karl Marx. Analyzing Blake’s poetry from a Marxist perspective paints a clearer picture of the motives behind Blake’s anger towards social inequality. Poems such as â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† and â€Å"London† from his poetryRead MoreThe Chimney Sweeper By William Blake1306 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Blake published â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† in 1789 in the first phase of his collection of poems entitled â€Å"Songs of Innocence†. A later poem under the same name was published five years later in his follow up collection, â€Å"Songs of Experience†. The chimney sweeper’s tale begins in Songs of Innocence with the introduction of a young boy who was sold by his father after the death of his mother; the poem then shifts in the next stanza to describe the speaker’s friend Tom Dacre, another chimney sweeperRead MoreThe Chimney Sweeper By William Blake1487 Words   |  6 Pageschoice but to sell their sons and daughters. Unfortunately, the career that children were forced into was chimney sweeping, which had a terrifyingly high mortality rate. The poem, â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper†, written by William Blake, tells the heartbreaking story of a child who is sold into chimney sweeping at a young age and leads a devastating life. After reading Blake’s poem about the sweepers, one may begin to wonder how it was possible for children to be treated so poorly, and how the king of thatRead MoreAn Analysis of William Blakes The Chimney Swee per1225 Words   |  5 PagesThesis Statement: This paper will analyze Blakes Chimney Sweeper and show how it presents an image of both experience and innocence, holding the latter up as a kind of light in the dark world of the child chimney sweepers. Outline I.Introduction A.Innocence and Experience B.The Chimney Sweeper connects both II.Recollections of a lost childhood A.Mother B.Father C.Sold into urban slavery III.Little Tom A.Hair like a Lamb B.Religious imagery C.The narrator tries to comfort him IV.RealRead MoreSongs of Good and Evil1545 Words   |  7 Pages Simple, limited, and unadventurous all describe William Blake’s life (Greenblatt, Abrams, Lynch, Stillinger). Blake was born November 28, 1757 in London, England and his artistic ability became evident in his early years. Blake had a very simple upbringing and had little education. His formal education was in art and at the age of fourteen he entered an apprenticeship with a well-known engraver who taught Blake his skills in engraving. In Blake’s free time, he began reading writing poetry. At theRead MoreAn Unfolding of William Blakes quot; the Chimney Sweeperquot;691 Words   |  3 PagesAn Unfolding of William Blakes The Chimney Sweeper. William Blakes poem The Chimney Sweeper gives us a look into the unfortunate lives of 18th century London boys whose primary job was to clear chimneys of the soot that accumulated on its interior; boys that were named climbing boys or chimney sweepers. Blake, a professional engraver, wrote this poem (aabb rhyme), in the voice of a young boy, an uneducated chimney sweeper. This speaker is obviously a persona, a fictitious character createdRead MoreA comparison of the Use of Language between the Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence and Experience1198 Words   |  5 PagesA comparison of the Use of Language between the Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence and Experience Even though, a hundred and seventy nine years later, lying in his grave, William Blake is still one of the best influences in poetry and even daily life today. Blake’s work, unrecognised during his lifetime, but now is almost universally considered that of a genius. Northrop Frye, who undertook a study of Blake’s entire opus, ‘What is in proportion to its merits the leastRead More Children in Blake’s Poetry Essay1167 Words   |  5 PagesChildren in Blake’s Poetry The use of children is a prominent theme in a number of William Blake’s poems. It is apparent in reading such poems as, â€Å"The Lamb,† â€Å"The Little Black Boy,† and â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper,† that Blake sees the world through the eyes of a child and embraces the innocence of the young. Blake’s poem â€Å"The Lamb,† from Songs of Innocence really illustrates the innocence and purity of a young child. The persona in the poem is of a young child. The child questions