The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience) : Quotations
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, to various questions of The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience).
Quotations
A little black thing among the snow,
Crying “weep! weep!” in notes of woe!
Exp: The speaker said these lines to portray the starting scenery of this poem. It seems that a black shape is crying in the snow, but it was a child.
Where are thy father and mother? say?”
“They are both gone up to the church to pray.
Exp: The speaker asks the child where is his parents. Then the child replies that his parents have prayed to the Church.
Because I was happy upon the heath,
And smil’d among the winter’s snow,
They clothed me in the clothes of death,
And taught me to sing the notes of woe.
Exp: Then the child continues to say that he was very happy with his life. He was playing in a green field in the snow. But his parents punished him and snatched away his happiness.
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,
Who make up a heaven of our misery.
Exp: The boy says that as he was happy, his parents thought that they had not done anything wrong with him. They went to church to pray to GOD and the King who would ensure them heaven.