The Chimney Sweeper And The Chimney Sweeper

Can changing the mindset the story is told from change the outlook of a story? Can two stories with the same topic, written by the same author make you feel two very different ways? William Blake illustrated this to a perfection with the poems “The Chimney Sweeper” from Songs of Innocence and “The Chimney Sweeper” from the Songs of Experience. The two poems have the same concept but are told from two different perspective. One from an innocent view of the world and one from someone with the experience of the world. Songs of Innocence contrast with Songs of Experience from the speaker of poem to the tone it is told to the imagery each poem possess. The speaker in “The Chimney Sweeper” from Songs of Innocence is innocent blind to the facts of the world. He knows so little about the world, “And

The knowledge he possess makes him feel angry and he directs it at the church. He implies to the reader that the church makes profits from his suffering and miserable life. This indicated that the speaker felt as if the church survives on the pain of innocent children. The speaker also feels as if the church is selling the story that may or may not be true to satisfy the children. “Who make up heaven of our misery.” (Blake “Experience”). The way the speaker describe is the church wants to prevent people from the horrible truth. “Where are thy father and mother? say? They are both gone up to the church to pray.” (Blake “Experience”). It is implied that the problems the child face are directly affected by the problems pertaining to the church and God. The way the child’s parents fail to recognize his unhappiness and pain, they fail to see the lack of spiritual truth in the way the church handles everything. “And because I am happy and dance and sing, they think they have done me no injury: And are gone to praise God and his Priest and King.” (Blake