Overview
The lecture analyzes William Blake's poem about chimney sweepers, focusing on its structure, imagery, and underlying themes of innocence and irony.
Structure and Form
- The poem is composed of quatrains (four-line stanzas) with an AABB rhyme scheme.
- Blake often used this simple, repetitive structure in his poetry.
Imagery and Setting
- The opening image is of an orphaned, lost child, setting a sorrowful tone.
- Chimney sweeping was a dangerous, dirty, low-status job in Blake’s time.
- Children (mainly boys) were hired to clean chimneys because of their small size, often being lowered into pitch-black, claustrophobic spaces.
Characters and Narrative
- The narrator is a child whose father sold him into chimney sweeping before he could even speak or protest.
- The phrase "weep" replaces "sweep," highlighting the child’s misery.
- The second stanza introduces Tom Dacre, saddened by having his hair shaved—a precaution against lice and getting stuck in chimneys.
Themes and Symbolism
- The shaven hair is compared to lambs, echoing earlier imagery of innocence from Blake’s work.
- The life of a chimney sweep is likened to being entombed, with hope symbolized by an angel unlocking their “tomb” in a dream.
- Conventional wisdom in the poem suggests working hard will lead to eventual freedom or happiness.
- Blake subtly critiques this view, pointing out the harsh and inescapable reality for these children.
Visual Elements
- The poem’s accompanying plate features crowded words and images, with an angel at the bottom unlocking children’s tombs, hinting at irony and possible cynicism.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Quatrain — a stanza of four lines, commonly used in poetry.
- Chimney sweeper — a child laborer who cleaned chimney interiors in 18th- and 19th-century England.
- Irony — expressing meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, often for emphasis or effect.
- Innocence — the state of being naive or unaware of the harsh realities of life.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the poem and identify examples of irony and innocence.
- Prepare for discussion on how structure and imagery contribute to the poem’s themes.