The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience) : Summary
The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience) is a notable literary work by William Blake. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience).
Summary
A small child who is a chimney sweeper is seen standing alone in the snow. He is crying, “Weep! Weep!” He cannot even speak the word “sweep” properly. When someone asks him where his parents are, he says they have gone to church to pray.
The little chimney sweeper says that he used to be happy. He happily played on the open field, even in the cold winter snow. But because he was happy, his parents forced him to work. They dressed him in “clothes of death.” The chimney sweeping work was so difficult that he felt he was already dead. They taught him to cry and feel sad.
Now, when he tries to smile, dance, or sing, people think he is fine. People think that nothing bad has happened to him. So they go to church and pray to God, his Priest, and King. They think that God, his Priest, and King are good. But the child says that this same God, his Priest, and King have created a world where children like him suffer. They think that the children are in a heavenly condition. But in reality, the children are in misery.