Critical Appreciation of the Poem The Chimney Sweeper.

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The Chimney Sweeper 

William Blake’s (1757-1827) poems “The Chimney Sweeper” from Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794) show the suffering of young chimney sweepers in 18th-century England. Through these poems, Blake criticizes society, religion, and the families that allow children to suffer. The two versions present contrasting views—one shows a child’s innocent hope, while the other reveals a bitter truth about society’s cruelty.

“The Chimney Sweeper” (Songs of Innocence): This poem is narrated by a young boy. The boy was sold into chimney sweeping after his mother died. He meets another boy, Tom Dacre, who cries when his hair is shaved off. Tom’s curly hair is a symbol of innocence. Tom’s hair is shaved off—which symbolizes loss of innocence. The older boy comforts Tom, saying the soot won’t spoil his white hair.

That night, Tom dreams of thousands of sweeper children locked in “coffins of black” (chimneys). An angel arrives, frees them with a “bright key,” and lets them play in a green field. The angel tells Tom that if he remains “a good boy,” God will reward him.

“And the Angel told Tom, if he’d be a good boy,

He’d have God for his father…”

The next morning, Tom feels happy and goes out with his bag and brush to work. The ending suggests that the promise of the Church is fake.

Blake uses the innocent voice of the child to hide a darker message. The poem seems hopeful, but it actually mocks the way religion and society trick children into accepting suffering. Here, The “angel” and “God” are symbols of false promises. The Church tells poor children to accept the suffering so that the rich can stay comfortable. The image “coffins of black” suggests that chimney sweeping is like a death sentence.

The poem is made up of six quatrains (four-line stanzas). The rhyme scheme (AABB) sounds