chimney sweeper poems analysis
Aeril Rolley
AP Literature and Composition
Heather Ross
23 February 2015
William Blake’s Chimney Sweeper Poems Analysis Both of William Blake’s poems reflects on the heart wrenching and unfortunate things young boys in the late 1700s were forced to do as chimney sweepers, yet their point of views and tones are quite different. Whereas in the first poem, Blake uses an innocent and undeserving young boy as the speaker to project a tone of naiveté while in the second poem he creates a speaker that is an all knowing adult and reveals the hypocrisy in the way society, the church in particular, allows these boys to live, producing a cynical tone. The first poem is told from the point of view of a sweet and innocent young boy. The boy states that his father sold him before he could even speak with ease and as if it were nothing unusual. He reflects on having his head shaved as more of a blessing than a misfortune because without his snowy white hair on his head it cannot be tainted by the darkness of the soot. He brings peace to Tom Dacre by telling him about his dream of a beautiful and glorious land that they are promised by having God as their father. All they have to do is obey and do as they are told and when the time comes, they will be able to live freely and happily in that land. The poen ends by describing the cold day the young boy is faced with as he awakens before the sun even comes up to set out for work. Despite these horrible circumstances, he is happy, warm, and full of hope inside as he awaits the day when he gets to live in the exciting land of his dreams. The young boy’s inability to recognize the unfairness and terrible situation he has been put in is made so much more horrible by the fact that, through his innocence, he is oblivious to the pain and torture he is faced with daily. The second poem is told from the point of view of a realistic adult. This adult speaker fully understands the hardships that the young children are faced with
AP Literature and Composition
Heather Ross
23 February 2015
William Blake’s Chimney Sweeper Poems Analysis Both of William Blake’s poems reflects on the heart wrenching and unfortunate things young boys in the late 1700s were forced to do as chimney sweepers, yet their point of views and tones are quite different. Whereas in the first poem, Blake uses an innocent and undeserving young boy as the speaker to project a tone of naiveté while in the second poem he creates a speaker that is an all knowing adult and reveals the hypocrisy in the way society, the church in particular, allows these boys to live, producing a cynical tone. The first poem is told from the point of view of a sweet and innocent young boy. The boy states that his father sold him before he could even speak with ease and as if it were nothing unusual. He reflects on having his head shaved as more of a blessing than a misfortune because without his snowy white hair on his head it cannot be tainted by the darkness of the soot. He brings peace to Tom Dacre by telling him about his dream of a beautiful and glorious land that they are promised by having God as their father. All they have to do is obey and do as they are told and when the time comes, they will be able to live freely and happily in that land. The poen ends by describing the cold day the young boy is faced with as he awakens before the sun even comes up to set out for work. Despite these horrible circumstances, he is happy, warm, and full of hope inside as he awaits the day when he gets to live in the exciting land of his dreams. The young boy’s inability to recognize the unfairness and terrible situation he has been put in is made so much more horrible by the fact that, through his innocence, he is oblivious to the pain and torture he is faced with daily. The second poem is told from the point of view of a realistic adult. This adult speaker fully understands the hardships that the young children are faced with