The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake Analysis Summary
The Chimney Sweeper (from Songs of Innocence)
1. A General Note :
The poem is taken from Blake’s volume of poetry The Songs of Innocence, engraved first in 1789. The volume comprises a series of songs for children. Blake’s idea behind such a series songs is to offer genuine pleasures to young children through songs.
In the age of Blake, poor little boys were commonly employed in England for sweeping chimneys by master-sweeps. Many of the chimneys of the time got easily dirty and blakened under the wet and chilly atmosphere. Naturally, they had to be cleansed regularly. The little boys, no doubt poverty-stricken, were employed for the job at very cheap rates. Exploitation, in fact, ran rampant in such cases.
Moreover, accidents were not uncommon then. The sight of the little boys sweeping big chimneys was pitiful, indeed.
Lamb had his celebrated essay The Praise Chimney-Sweepers in praise of the young chimney sweepers.
2. Substance :
This is the song of a little chimney sweeper, in a state of innocence. The young sweeper speaks of the loss of his mother when he was too young. His father sold him to one (a master sweep), when he was too young even to cry. So he was engaged to sweep chimneys and got covered in soot. He refers to one of his fellow sweeps Tom Dacre. When his curly hair was shaved, he cried bitterly. Of course, the speaker consoled him, saying that that was done to prevent his white hair from becoming stained with soot.
Tom, thus quietened, slept, and had a sweet dream that very night. He found in his dream numerous chimney-sweeps, like him, locked up in black-coffins. He also dreamt of a heavenly angel, coming with bright keys and opening the coffins and setting them all free. The happy children, without any restraint, floated and played in the air. The angel then told them that if they should behave properly and be good, they would have God as their er. The dream passed off, and the chimney-sweeps had to wake up. Though the weather was extremely cold, Tom felt warmed up by the vision of his dream and went to his work (along with his mates) to do the duty in a cheerful mood.
3. The Title :
The poem is titled as The Chimney Sweeper. It is a Song of Innocence and shares the mood and feeling of the little chimney-sweep in a state of innocence. As the song is all about the chimney sweeper, his hard and dark life, his bright rightly titled as The Chimney Sweeper. It need be noted that there is another poem of Blake under the same title, included in his Songs of Experience.
4. Analysis :
I. The young chimney sweeper lost his mother when he was too young. His father sold him when he could hardly cry. He was put to work to sweep the chimney and had to live amid the dark soot. (Stanza-1)
II. There was a little fellow Tom Dacre, also a chimney-sweeper. His curly hair was shaved much to his agony and distress. But he was consoled by the speaker that he had been shaved to prevent his white hair from getting blakened. (Stanza-2)
III. So Tom consoled his mate and fell asleep. He had a bright dream in his sleep. He dreamt that thousands of little sweepers, like him, were all locked up in some coffins of black. (Stanza-3)
IV. Thereafter (in the dream) came an angel with a bright key in her hand to open the coffins and set them all free. The young chimney sweeps were all glad and laughed, leapt and ran. They washed themselves in river and warmed them up in sunshine. With their uncovered and white bodies and bags left behind, they floated on the clouds and played in the wind. The angel then assured Tom that he would have God as his father and never missed the joys of life, if he would behave honestly and sincerely. (Stanzas 4-5){The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake Analysis}
V. Tom wake up from his sweet dream. It was still dark, but the chinney sweeps all got ready with their bags and brushes to set out for their duty. Cold and dull was the morning, but Tom and his fellow sweeps were inspired, and felt happy and warm. They believed that, if they did their duty rightly and honestly, no harm would ever come to them. (Stanza 6).
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