The Chimney Sweeper [Experience]

Theme - Organised Religion:

"The Chimney Sweeper" is a poem about the corrupting influence of organized religion on society. Parents are too occupied with satisfying their religious authorities to give the young chimney sweep a childhood full of joy and freedom. The Church, the poem thus suggests, is an actively corrupting influence on the sweep and his family. And as the chimney sweeps came from poor families, this perhaps speaks to Blake's belief that organized religion sold false hope to those in poverty. Organized religion, the poem then suggests, helps society absolve itself of any guilt for exploiting its children in this way. "They think they have done me no injury," says the sweep. In other words, people think that as long they do what the Church tells them to then they will be rewarded by God. Ultimately, then, the poem is scathing about organized religion—implying it that it is something separate from spirituality, faith, and the true meaning of a relationship with God.

Structure + Form:

3 Quatrains, Changing Rhyme Schemes: AABB CACA EFEF

Poem:

A little black thing in the snow Crying "weep! weep!" in notes of woe!" Where are thy father and mother? Say!" "They are both gone up to the church to pray "Because I was happy upon the heath And smiled among the winter's snow They clothed me in the clothes of death And taught me to sing the notes of woe "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."

Effect of "to the church to pray.":

Answers the question of "Where are thy father and mother?", emphasises the parental neglect of children in favour of conforming to organised religion. Organized religion makes them avoid their responsibilities and duties as parents, while at the same time absolving them of their guilt. The church, in a way, has subtly kidnapped the parents—and thereby created the conditions in which child exploitation is allowed to thrive.

Effect of Repeated Pronoun, "They think they":

Builds an accusative tone, the sweep making it clear that he knows—from experience—who is to blame for his miserable existence as he implores the audience to contemplate who this is and if they contribute to these systems.

Effect of phrase, "Clothes of death":

Can be interpreted as referring to the child's blackened clothes and sooty skin—results of a job that will probably eventually kill him. More generally, the phrase helps draw out competing forces at work in society: life and joy vs. death and misery. While the child wants to live joyfully, society forces him towards death and misery.

Effect of changing rhyme patterns:

Captures the change in speakers. The sweep starts speaking in line 4, and the different pattern of rhymes reflects that a new voice has entered the poem. Additionally, the rhymes helps give the poem a childlike feel, reflecting the main theme of the poem; the exploitation of childhood.

Effect of "They think they have done me no injury, and are gone to praise God and his Priest and King":

Emphasises that nobody takes responsibility for the suffering of the young chimney sweeps. The practices of organised religion relinquishes any blame or guilt.

Effect of Alliteration between "Gone" and "God":

Emphasizes the link between societal neglect and organised religion. In other words, people who praise "God" are "gone" from their responsibilities, such as taking care of children.

Effect of Rhetorical Question, "Where are thy father and mother?":

Establishes the poem's concerns about authority and responsibility—that is, who to blame for the sweep's misery and impoverishment. Initially, it will be the parents who are to blame, but ultimately it's organized religion. Blake views the corruption and exploitation of childhood as both a familial and societal problem.

Main Themes of the Poem:

Exploitation of Children + Social Injustice/ Organised Religion

What was the period in which which children were forced into chimney sweeping?

From the Great Fire of London (1666) to the abolition of the practice in 1875.

Effect of pronoun, "THEY clothed me in clothes of death":

Intentionally vague and ambiguous; "They" could mean the sweep's parents, the church authorities, society as a whole, or all of these. A neglect of care from every aspect of their lives

Effect of Alliteration, "Happy upon the Heath":

Links childhood joy to nature and the outdoors (a heath is a kind of field). Suggests this is how childhood should be in a natural world; the way God intends. This is a common theme in Blake's poetry and in the works of the Romantic poets more generally.

Effect of Alliteration, "Smil'd" and "Snow":

Links instinctive happiness to the freedom of being in nature. The poem implies that children can be happy in all seasons, as long they're allowed to play outdoors; whether in "winter's snow", or in the sun "upon the heath"

Effect of Epizeuxis, "Weep! Weep!":

The child should be saying "sweep! sweep", but is only able to cry "weep! weep!", reflecting the pain the child is experiencing. Continues the common motif of weeping within Blake's work to reflect the misery of social injustice

Effect of Consonance, "a little black thing among the snow.":

The gentleness of this reminds the reader that, though the child speaker is world-weary and experienced, he is still small and vulnerable.

Effect of consonance, "Where are thy father and mother? say?" "They are both gone up to the church to pray.":

The gentleness of this sound suggests the physical weakness of the chimney sweep.

How does the poem reference natural childhood happiness? (How childhood should be):

The mention of a "heath"—which alliterates playfully with "happy"—links childhood joy to nature and the outdoors (a heath is a kind of field). This is a common theme in Blake's poetry and in the works of the Romantic poets more generally.

Theme - Exploitation of Children + Social Injustice:

The poem suggests that industrialised society and the Church encroaches on the freedoms and joys of childhood and, indeed, robs children of their youth. Parents are too occupied with satisfying their religious authorities to give the young chimney sweep a childhood full of joy and freedom. The chimney sweep then outlines how organized religion—with its rules and limitations—influences the natural progression of childhood. The sweep was "happy" singing, smiling, dancing, and playing outside. But the young chimney sweep is forced to sacrifice his childhood in order to become a laborer.

Difference between the sweeps in this poem compared to the previous 'Songs of Innocence' counterpart:

They are wise to the lies and deceptions of organised religion

Effect of "a little black thing among the snow.":

This vague description has a kind of distancing and dehumanising effect, showing the way that the boy has been made literally and metaphorically unidentifiable—as though he is no longer a child, but a mere black shape, a dark mark on the conscience of society. The juxtaposition of the colour "black", with the "snow" which is white underscores the isolation of the child, who is lonely and cold.

Summary:

Unlike in the first poem, this sweep can take no solace in organized religion—he is too experienced for that. He is so covered in soot that he is barely recognizable, and explains to the reader that society has oppressed and exploited the natural joyfulness of his youth.