Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Essay On The Chimney Sweeper - 774 Words

Set in the times of the Industrial Revolution, Blake’s The Chimney Sweeper is a powerful attempt to fight one of the biggest social injustices at the time: child labour. He illustrates the heartbreaking life story of thousands of kids through two different points of view, one is exposed in the poem pertaining to Songs of Innocence (1789) and the other one is exposed in Songs of Experience (1794). Both poems share the same outline; however, it is the narrator’s view the one that changes drastically between the poems. In the eldest version, the author presents the readers with a young chimney sweeper full of hope and aspiration whereas in the most recent poem the author reflected a slightly more experienced child that does not believe in†¦show more content†¦In the second one, however, the rhyme scheme was not as defined and there were even some free rhyme verses. As it would be expected, this breaks completely the musicality of the poem making the verses sound sharp and losing all possible flow. Both versions share a common idea that is widely discussed: religion. In the first poem when guided through Tom’s dream, an angel is the one that set the children free. After escaping the coffins, which represent the chimneys they have to sweep daily, the young chimney sweepers arrive in paradise, where no worries or sad thoughts seem to exist. When Tom finally wakes up, he comforts himself with the idea that once they die, the reward for all his hard work will be heaven. In other words, the only hope they have left is the paradox of having a life after they pass out. Blake managed to first create a very soft atmosphere in the first stanzas and then progressively darken the environment until reaching its climax at the end. (Insert quote) In contrast, in the second poem, the chimney sweeper has lost all of the faith he had left. He explains how his parents abandoned him to live this life on his own. He even suggests that they lie to themselves trying to find comfort in idealistic situations that are very far from his daily life reality. The young narrator is very critical with religion for using their situation to win adepts (Insert quote) In religion, Heaven is thought to be paradise afterlife andShow 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 MoreThe Chimney Sweeper Essay765 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake† In William Blake’s poem, the reader will read about the first person point of view of a child going through a neglected life of child labour and slavery. In the poem, â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper†, Blake’s use of onomatopoeia conveys the emotions of the character in the poem. William Blake uses symbolism in his poem which gives the reader a better understanding of the message he is trying to convey. As well, Blake’s use of colors and adjectives provides the readerRead More William Blakes Chimney Sweeper Essay1976 Words   |  8 PagesWilliam Blakes Chimney Sweeper In this essay I am going to explore Blakes Chimney Sweeper poems from the Songs of Innocence and the Songs of Experience. During this essay I will cover Blakes life and times and the way chimney sweepers get treated around that time and what Blake attempts to do about it. Blake was born on November 28 in the year 1757. His parents where strict but understanding. Blakes parents realized early in his life that Blake was gifted. HeRead MoreMarxism in The Chimney Sweeper Essay examples1927 Words   |  8 PagesIn his poem, The Chimney Sweeper, William Blake displays the despondent urban life of a young chimney sweeper during the coming of the industrial revolution in order to emphasize the theme of innocence through Marxism and to inform people of the harsh working conditions during the times of child labor promoting political reform. William Blake was born in London on November 28, 1757, to James and Catherine Blake. From early childhood, Blake spoke of having visions. He learned to read and write atRead MoreEssay about The Voice of the Chimney Sweepers1180 Words   |  5 Pagesmornings to do a full day’s work, for half the pay of an adult’s, even though the quality of work was the same. Children were sent off the squeeze into small places day after day. Limbs could break. Soot was inhaled. The poisonous chemicals in the chimneys caused hazardous situations, and thu s medically, the children were hindered. Children worked anywhere from six to eight hours a day, and were expected to get up bright and early the next day to show up for work. On the occasions that they were allowedRead MoreThe Chimney Sweeper by William Blake Essay596 Words   |  3 PagesIn the Chimney Sweeper, William Blake portrays the lack of innocence in these young boys lives since they are expected to have attained the experience to preform such unjust actions. The speaker of the poem begins it by letting us know that after his mother passed away his father gave him up to be a chimneysweeper so he could obtain money. These two figures, his mother and father are whom kids are supposed to depend on and look up for guidance. He feels abandoned because his mother is gone andRead More William Blakes The Chimney Sweeper Essay918 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Blake’s The Chimney Sweeper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Blake’s â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† was mainly about the possibilities of both hope and faith. Although the poem’s connotation is that of a very dark and depressed nature, the religious imagery Blake uses indicates that the sweeps will have a brighter future in eternity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In lines 4 – 8 when Blake writes, â€Å"There’s little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head, That curled like a lamb’s back, was shaved: so I said ‘Hush, Tom! never mind it,Read More William Blakes The Chimney Sweeper Essay672 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Blakes The Chimney Sweeper William Blakes The Chimney Sweeper, written in 1789, tells the story of what happened to many young boys during this time period. Often, boys as young as four and five were sold for the soul purpose of cleaning chimneys because of their small size. These children were exploited and lived a meager existence that was socially acceptable at the time. Blake voices the evils of this acceptance through point of view, symbolism, and his startling irony.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  BlakeRead MoreInnocence and Experience in Blakes The Chimney Sweeper Essay605 Words   |  3 PagesInnocence and Experience in Blakes The Chimney Sweeper The most obvious difference between the two poems would be the length, although this is not necessarily a difference between innocence and experience, it does lure the reader into the right frame of mind to read into the attitude of each poem. Innocence consists of six, four-line stanzas, where as experience is only three, four-line stanzas. The length of each line is also longer in innocence when compared toRead MoreEssay on Innocence Stolen in William Blake’s The Chimney Sweeper843 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout world history their have been and are many occurrences of society corruption and oppression of masses, such as the forcing of small children to sweep chimneys. Thus, William Blake’s Purpose in writing the two â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† poems was to express his outrage at society for having oppressed and stolen the innocence of powerless children in forcing them to sweep. Both poems are similar in that he uses the actions and view point of the child speaker to express his rage against society

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.