Imagery in William Blake\'s Poetry

Imagery in William Blake's Poetry

William Blake displays his versatility as a poet in his poems, "The Chimney Sweeper" and "London." Each poem represents a perspective that is very different but informative about life and how we perceive it. "The Chimney Sweeper" emphasizes a certain amount of innocence while "London" is more focused on the innocence that has been lost throughout the ages. These poems illustrate the poet's ability to express his perspective through powerful imagery.

In "The Chimney Sweeper," the poet focuses on positive imagery to show his appreciation for the innocence of life. A lamb is associated with innocence as well as an angel. The angel performs a heroic act when she opens "the coffin and set[s] them all free" (Blake The Chimney Sweeper 13-4). The angel also tells Tom if "He'd be a good boy, / He'd have God for his father and never want joy" (19-20). The poet provides another positive image is that of the chimneysweepers in jovial moods. They are sing and laughing despite what their station in life. Tom is associated with a positive image because he is "happy and warm" (23-4). Hope is significant to the poem when the children are released and "sport in the wind" (18). This poem's overall message is that innocence is more of a state of mind than a station in life. These children are innocent and they believe in the goodness of life and experiencing the good things.

In "London," we see another side of the world as the poet looks at a city that seems to have changed before his eyes. He describes to us a scene that is associated with negative images. The poet sees "marks of weakness, marks of woe" (Blake London 4) in the faces he encounters. As night looms, he hears "How the youthful Harlot's curse/Blasts the new-born Infant's tear, / And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse" (14-6). Even the populations' state of mind is represented with negative imagery. It is also important to note that the poet senses weariness when looks at the townspeople and that it stems from "mind-forged manacles" (8). This line makes it known that there is suffering but it comes from the people more than it does their surroundings. This perspective is illustrating the point of "The Chimney Sweeper" with opposite repercussions. The people how allowed their experiences to take their innocence and their love for life away from them. This means that society is suffering, but the suffering is made by society itself.