The Chimney Sweeper Poem Analysis

Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience is concerned with man’s relationship with religion as they grow up. “The Chimney Sweeper” in Songs of Innocence portrays religion a source of comfort. The poem is narrated through the voice of a child, making it seem like a story-telling. The speaker downplays the act of shaving Tom’s head through the light-hearted tone, telling him that the soot cannot “spoil [his] white hair” (8) when “[his] head is bare” (9). If Tom’s hair is representative of his individualism and identity, it shows that the shaving of his head is a removal of his own identity and to possibly adopt a religious one. Furthermore, Tom’s shaved head is described as a “curl’d lamb’s back.” The imagery of the lamb is an allusion to

This is because the Angel, a symbol of religion can only be seen in the “night”, which represents darkness. Also, even though religion is seen as a source of comfort; likened to the solution to the ills of the industrial revolution, there is no real change in the situation of the boys. This is seen through how they “rose in the dark” and went back to sweeping chimneys in contrast to in the dream where they “rise upon clouds.” This hence shows the idealistic portrayal of religion, enhanced with the naivety of the

Men are shown to be turning away from religion as a source of emotional support. The speaker is now grown-up, and has lived life. There is an overall mood of despair and hopelessness. This is through the depiction of the child chimney sweeper as a “little black thing.” The child has no identity now and is reduced to a “thing”, showing that the effects of the industrial revolution remains pervasive. The child’s parents are described to have “gone up to the church to pray” (4) “gone to praise the God & his Priest & King” (11). In the Chimney Sweeper, the speaker is more attached to his parents instead of religion. This is suggested in the second stanza, which is dedicated to his parents. He thanks his parents for “cloth[ing]” and “teach[ing]” him. Despite the speaker being more attached to his parents, it is ironic that he is clothed in “clothes of death” (7) and taught “notes of woe”. (8) The estranged relationship of the speaker with religion is shown through how he “is happy & dance & sing/ they think they have done me no injury.” The speaker shows how religion is unable to solve the ills of the industrial revolution. This is implied through the word “think”, showing the disparity between the imagined and actual effects of believing in religion. Furthermore, the last line says “who make up a heaven of our misery” (12). The tone of scorn implies that