Troi Oliver

English 9

2/8/2019

Poetry Analysis: The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake Essay

Monsters. There are many monsters around the world, some as literal monsters while

others are involved with industrial revolution, poverty,and societal. However, these monsters that

lead into industrial revolution and struggling societies are the type of monsters that stand out the

most. A poem by William Blake named “The Chimney Sweeper” made in 1784 connects to the

idea of monsters reguarding child labor and industrial revolutionary worlds.

In this poem by William Blake “The Chimney Sweeper”, the author is conveying that

during the times of industrial revolution, children involved in child labor were deeply affected.

To quote, in stanza 1-2 the speaker tells a story about how his mother dies while he’s at an

extremely young age. His father then sold him at a young age claiming to be so young he could

barely pronounce words properly. The speaker becomes a chimney sweeper as a boy working

child labor. Additionally, the speaker introduces a second character “Tom”. The speaker explains

his life through Toms because they’ve lived similar lives.

Moreover the poem, in stanza 3-6 the speaker explains how Tom a dream, imagining

thousands of other children working as chimney sweepers in such harsh conditions as he does.

He explains how they all feel locked away, wishing for an angel to come and save them.

However, Tom was told by an angel that he’d be saved if only he continued his job. So Tom
wakes up the next morning grabbing his brushes and tools continuing to work the job of a

chimney sweeper.

Reviewing the poem, the author uses metaphors, symbolism, and imagery to allow his

message to become clear to readers. For instance, Blake uses such symbolism as “There’s little

Tom Dacre, who cried when his head, That curled like a lamb’s back, was shaved: So I said,

Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when your heads bare, you know that the soot cannot spoil your

white hair”(stanza 2). This creates an idea revealing how tom loses his innocence because of his

work. The symbolism shown here is to express how the soot and ash can no longer damage his

hair because now is without it. Even though he would still be appearing dirty and destroying his

longs from breathing in ash for such long periods of time.

Nevertheless, the author also uses imagery in Toms dream to reveal the countless children

working in child labor, just as Tom and the speak did. “As Tom was a-sleeping, he had such a

sight, That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned, and Jack, Were all of them locked up in

coffins of black” (lines 10-12). Particularly, the metaphors in Toms dream also responds to

innocence. An example of this is “And wash in a river, and shine in the sun” ( line 16), refers to

all of the chimney sweepers cleansing their sin by washing off the ash in the river. They become

reborn and purified when shining in the sun. On the other hand, another metaphor is revealed

stating “ Then naked and white, all their bags left behind, They rise upon clouds and sport in the

wind” (lines 17-18). Here the children’s nudity represents purity, while leaving behind bags

shows redemption that’s their sins were left behind before the children entered the afterlife.
Overall the children wished for their death as an escape of their sinful lives working in child

labor.

To conclude, the poem “The Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake created in 1789 does

truly connect to monsters and industrial revolution. It reveals the story about child labor and how

they were affected. Personally, when I read the poem I grew a deep understanding of the poor

conditions society has gone through. It creates a statement and impact to change the ways of the

world.