William Blake's The Chimney Sweeper

Overview

This lecture analyzes William Blake's poem "The Chimney Sweeper," focusing on its historical context, key themes, literary devices, and critical perspective on social and religious institutions.

Blake's Poetry and Historical Context

• "The Chimney Sweeper" appears in Songs of Experience (1794), five years after Songs of Innocence (1789).
• Songs of Innocence presents joyful, idealized childhood; Songs of Experience explores suffering, corruption, and the loss of innocence.
• Blake later combined both volumes to show the duality of human nature—innocence and experience, joy and suffering.
• In 18th-19th century England, child labor was common; families sold children for financial survival.

Themes and Social Critique

• The poem exposes terrible conditions faced by child chimney sweeps—dangerous work, health risks, early death.
• Blake criticizes both parents and the church for neglecting and justifying children's suffering.
• The church taught that suffering was part of God's plan and labor built character, rationalizing exploitation.
• The poem contrasts religious/spiritual ideals with the harsh realities of society's most vulnerable.

Structure and Literary Devices

• The poem has three quatrains; rhyme scheme shifts from aabb to abab.
• Rhythmic structure is irregular, mixing iambs, anapests, and spondees for emphasis.
• Blake uses plain yet symbolic language, enhancing accessibility and impact.
• Visual imagery: the "little black thing among the snow" contrasts innocence (white) and degradation (black).
• Sound devices: repetition ("weep weep"), alliteration, and assonance mimic a child’s weak voice.

Analysis of Key Passages

• The child’s voice emerges after the adult's question, highlighting naive acceptance of suffering.
• "Clothes of death" suggests the soot and rags, but also early mortality.
• The poem critiques societal and religious systems for teaching sorrow instead of nurturing joy.
• Final lines show parents' denial, society’s rationalizations, and the church/government’s complicity in suffering.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Quatrain — a stanza of four lines.
• Iamb/Anapest/Spondee — types of metrical feet in poetry, affecting rhythm.
• Feminine/Masculine Rhyme — rhyme on unstressed/stressed syllables at line ends.
• Polysyndeton — use of multiple conjunctions in close succession.
• Diction — word choice and expression in writing.
• Original Sin — religious idea that all humans are born sinful.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Review both versions of "The Chimney Sweeper" (Songs of Innocence and Experience) for comparison.
• Prepare notes on how Blake uses poetic techniques to convey his critique.
• Reflect on the relationship between childhood innocence and societal responsibility.