Analysis Of The Poem The Chimney Sweeper - 1418 Words

Blake’s poem â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† is considered to be one of his finest, yet contradictory works of his life, as he provides a negative social perspective on the topic of child labour. Assisted through the use of various poetic techniques such as anecdotes, biblical illusion, symbolism, euphemism, metaphors, and rhyme, Blake was able to assertively convey his protest towards the laws against the use of young children in the British workforce. The theme of child innocence is also the other main explored topic throughout this poem, as it is also in a majority of Blake’s writing, as well as a common subject touched on by a majority of The Romantics. The first stanza of the poem highlights how the children that were apprenticed by their parents to sweepers were of such a young age, historically documented to be as young as 5 years old. This is demonstrated by the line â€Å"my father sold me while yet my tongue, Could scarcely cry weep! weep! weep! weep!â €™â€  this stanza protesting social issues such as child labour as well as involuntary servitude. Blake is able to express this point more effectively through anecdotes, as Blake describes the life of a boy, the narrator, whose mother dies at an early age and is then sold into chimney sweeping by his father. Imagery is another technique used, as the narrator not metaphorically, but literally, sleeps in/on the black soot he works in, as chimney sweepers were known to sleep on the bags of soot they swept during the day. InShow MoreRelatedEssay on the Chimney Sweeper958 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 102-B12 LUO Spring 2014 Joseph P Garland Jr L23810423 MLA A literary analysis of â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper.† Social Injustice was rampant among chimney sweeps in 18th and 19th Century England... In the poem â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† from â€Å"Songs of Innocence† This paper will evaluate and show the story and writing style dealing with social injustice. 1. Introduction a. The Chimney Sweeper 2. The Location and Era a. 18th and 19th Century England 3. Point of View a. TomRead MoreIn Many Ways, Poetry Has The Ability To Shape The Minds1226 Words   |  5 Pagespresent. 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 Blake may help readers to understand the intention of â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper.† On NovemberRead MoreSongs of Good and Evil1545 Words   |  7 Pagespublished his first collections of poems, Poetical Sketches, which Blake wrote over a period of fourteen years (William Blake Biography). In August 1782 Blake married Catherine Boucher, with whom he fell in love at first sight (Encyclopedia of World Biography). Blake taught Catherine to read and write, and she later became his assistant. Blake wrote Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience in 1794. With the help of his wife, Catherine, Blake hand-engraved his poems and paintings on a bronze boardRead MoreWilliam Blake Songs of Innocence Experience1256 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† Songs of Innocence amp; Experience analysis with, William Blake In 1794 William Blake’s work was known and published as a collection of poems that were put together as one book called Songs of innocence amp; Songs of Experience. In the collection Blake titles a poem, â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper†, and this one is viewed in two ways: Innocence and experience. In the book of innocence Blake shows how poor innocent children are being abused and mistreated during this time era. In SongsRead MoreEssay about The Voice of the Chimney Sweepers1180 Words   |  5 Pagesbegan to experiment with engravings, and drawings, and in such, became famous for them. People of his time thought him to be rather insane, because his artworks were so strange to the public. While he didn’t get much recognition for his first set of poems published in 1783, a book of poetry appropriately named Poetical Sketches, he is known for the gentle, yet outspoken poetry of his 1789 published work, Songs of Innocence, and his rather profound disillusionment of his 1 794 collection, Songs of ExperienceRead MoreWilliam Blake s Innocence And Experience Analysis Essay1529 Words   |  7 PagesIsha Fidai Amber Drown English 2323 14 September 2016 William Blake s Innocence and Experience Analysis The Romantic Era was a movement in literature that began in the late seventeenth century throughout the eighteenth century that was mainly influenced by the natural world and idealism. Romanticism was predominantly focused on emotion and freedom emphasizing individualism. Formed as an uprising against neoclassicism, romanticism was more abstract, focusing on feelings and imaginations, insteadRead MoreSocial Issue, Symbols, and Themes of Blake’s â€Å"the Chimney Sweeper† Poems2253 Words   |  10 PagesIssue, Symbols, and Themes of Blake’s â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† Poems During the seventeenth century, people in England substituted burning wood with coal to use their fireplaces to avoiding paying hearth taxes. The burning of coal left soot on the interior walls of the fireplaces that needed to be removed to keep the fireplaces clean. Homes would be polluted with fumes of the coal residue if the fireplaces weren’t cleaned regularly (â€Å"A History of Chimney Sweeping†). Since children were small enoughRead MoreWilliam Blake s `` The Angel `` And `` A Little Girl Lost ``1306 Words   |  6 PagesBlake and give a brief background information about his life. In addition, this research paper will also provide: An analysis of two different poems wrote by William Blake, the message of both poems, how his life might have influenced his poems, and which other factors influenced him to write these poems. â€Å"The Angel†, â€Å"Love’s Secret† and â€Å"A Little Girl Lost† are some of the famous poems wrote by William Blake. For a long time, people ignored his art works and believed that he was insane. Nowadays, heRead More An Analysis of Blakes The School Boy Essay1745 Words   |  7 PagesAn Analysis of Blakes The School Boy  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   The School Boy is a typical example of Blakes Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience in its themes and imagery. Like many of the other poems in this work it deals with childhood and the subjugation of its spirit and uses imagery from the natural world. While first published in 1789 as one of the Songs of Innocence there are strong reasons why Blake moved it to the Experience1 section of the 1794 edition. If we compare it to other poems inRead MoreWilliam Blake in Contrast of Songs of Innocence and of Experience1452 Words   |  6 PagesEN 222-Intro to British Lit. II April 21, 2012 William Blake in contrast of Songs of Innocence and of Experience William Blake, an engraver, exemplified his passion for children through his many poems. Blake lived in London most of his life and many fellow literati viewed him as eccentric. He claimed to have interactions with angels and prophets, which had a great influence on his outlook of life. Blake believed all prominent entities, those being church, state, and government had become sick with