Alexis Kenney

The poem “The Chimney Sweeper” compares and contrasts in its two

different versions of songs of innocence and the other being songs of experience.

They compare because they both are about chimneysweepers and they both have

the common theme of church. They contrast because one is more detailed and they

are different in their stories. They both have different plots and different stories to

tell. They have more contrasting factors then comparing factors.

They contrast because in “The Chimney Sweeper” of songs of innocence the

poem is lengthier along with being more detailed. It talks more about the

background of the life Tom Dacre. The poem tells us that his mom was dead and his

dad had sold him to chimneysweepers. In this version it also shows Tom as upset

and crying. In this first version it also has two stanzas dedicated to Tom’s dream of

him being free and how even when he woke up and realized it was a dream his was

still happy because he realized if the all do their duties they shouldn’t fear harm. In

the second version of songs of experience it is quit shorter. This version isn’t very

detailed and it doesn’t provide a name for the character and it doesn’t provide

background info on the character. In this version both of the parents are alive, it also

shows the character as happy. These two versions have many differing factors.

These two poems compare in several ways. They both have the theme of

church. They both also talk about heaven or reference heaven and mention God.
Both also are about chimneysweepers and their feeling toward what they do. They

both talk about the characters parents in one way or another. They also both

reference death in some way where it be talking about death or inferring it by

mentioning coffins. Both poems exemplifies commonalties.