William Blake's Chimney Sweeper

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William Blake's Chimney Sweeper

In this essay I am going to explore Blake's Chimney Sweeper poems from

the Songs of Innocence and the Songs of Experience. During this essay

I will cover Blake's 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. Blake's parents realized early in his life

that Blake was gifted. He had an extremely active imagination and he

often got visions. At only four years old he claimed he had seen God

in one of these visions. Another time when he was with one of his

friends he envisaged angels filling a tree. He horridly told his

family what he saw but the response he got from his father was quite

negative. His father threatened to whip him because he believed it was

time for him to grow up. However his mother took Blake's side and when

she asked him about it he stated that the angels took the form of his

thoughts. This vision was stuck with him and was extremely influential

in his life.

Blake obviously had a gift for seeing things with his eyes and in his

imagination. He used his artwork to express his experiences. When

Blake turned ten years of age his parents decided to enrol him into a

drawing school. Later on in his life Blake used his talent as an

artist to become a apprentice engraver.

Throughout Blake's life he had a dislike for nasty, unfair people

especially towards those that had power and money like those in the

government, and those that where associated with the church. Blake

also could not stand power abusers and bad unfair treatment to...

... middle of paper ...

... final stanza Blake goes on the attack at the church and the

government he does this by provoking anger towards them through the

unfairness of it all.

"And because I am happy & dance and sing,

They think they have done me no injury,

In these lines Blake is how the chimney sweeper feels after his

ordeal, putting on the front everything is ok when it is not. Going

deeper into what Blake is trying to bring across is representation

that the chimney sweep is the poor people again.

The final two lines Blake attacks the church and the government, the

chimney sweep is wise and is experienced and realises that the church

and government exploit the poor so that they can make their own heaven

out of the money from the society.

And we gone to praise God & his Priest and King,

Who make up a heaven of our misery"

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