Chimney Sweeper Essays (Examples)

The boys can only achieve freedom in their dreams, because the reality of their situation is so hopeless. Dunn's boy worker works hard, but he is not consumed by his work, and he knows it is not a permanent, horrible situation.

Dunn's poem, on the other hand, shows another dark side of work. His narrator is a boy old enough to work in a factory, but still young enough to want to enjoy his summer vacation. He does not have to work, and that makes all the difference between the two poems. Dunn writes, "I quit before the summer was over, / exercised the prerogatives of my class / by playing ball all August / and spent the money I'd earned / on Barbara Winokur, who was beautiful" (Dunn). Blake's poem shows the dark desperation of work, while Dunn's poem shows the boredom and futility of work on an assembly…

This job also gave him nightmares ("That thousands of sweepers... were all locked up in coffins of black") which shows that being a chimney sweep caused him much personal pain and distress. In Dunn's poem "Hard Work," we find a similar young boy who envies his friends away at camp while he labors in the Coke factory. Two key lines in this poem show how difficult it is for a young child to be forced into hard work -- "When I came home at night, my body/Hurt with that righteous hurt/Men have brought home for centuries," (15-17), meaning that he was in pain from working in the Coke factory, a pain usually reserved for mature men. Thus, both of these poems demonstrate that young children, even in today's world, are often exploited by society, due to not having the rights of grown adults and lacking the ability to do anything…

The fact that the unnamed narrator, who could not have been more than five or six years old, shows a young boy's chilling resignation to his fate.

These passages therefore show how thoroughly social conventions can "brainwash" society members, especially those who experience the most brutal oppression.

This acquiescence to social convention is seen most clearly in Tom Dacre's dream. The ideal of a boy playing and running shows by contrast how horrible the life of a chimney sweep is. Young boys should be "laughing in the sunshine," and not climbing chimneys. The fact that Tom and other chimney sweeps accept their existence as they "do their duty" highlight just how deeply-embedded the moral code of society is, from the acceptance of citizens and the tacit approval of institutions like the Church.

The last phrase "if all do their duty, they need not fear harm," has incorrectly been interpreted as…

The poem strikes a continual contrast between light and dark, like the natural, naked whiteness of Tom's hair, and the boy's bodies in heaven, "naked and white," with all of the unnecessary baggage of their labor "left behind."

The poem also contrasts the ease of "sporting in the wind" rather than going into the pits of hellish, dark hot chimneys that is won if the boys are good and do their duty. But this dream is a hope easily accepted and swallowed by children, yet paradise and its reward seems ironically bestowed, unrealistic in its contrast with reality, and ultimately the poet does not seem as confident as the speaker that "Tom, if he'd be a good boy, / He'd have God for his father, and never want joy...and "if all do their duty they need not fear harm." The boys have no comfort other than the hope, perhaps false…

Blake's "The Chimney Sweeper "s

Romanticism was an intellectual, literary, and artistic movement that took place during the second half of the eighteenth century. illiam Blake, an English poet, painter, and printmaker, explores opposing views in Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, his collection of poems that juxtaposes what he considers to be innocent perspectives against the perspectives of those who have been exposed to the cruelties of life. In "The Chimney Sweeper," two poems of the same name found in Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, Blake uses religious imagery and social commentary to discern how perspectives change based on the individuals' experiences.

Through the juxtaposition of the chimneysweepers in his poems, Blake is able to provide commentary on how society and civilization corrupt and destroy the inherent innocence of children. In Reading Between the Lines: A Christian Guide to Literature, Gene Veith notes that "civilization was…

Shakespeare and Blake

A prevalent issue in English literature is how social status affects individuals. Two writers that are able to explore the negative aspects of social status are William Shakespeare and William Blake. In Shakespeare's Othello, the Moor of Venice, social status plays a major role in determining who does or does not get promoted within the military; this determination, in turn, leads to rebellion on the part of Iago who is both angry and jealous after being passed up for promotion. On the other hand, Blake's poems of the same title, "The Chimney Sweeper" from Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, highlight what children of lower social classes must endure for the benefit of their families. Through their respective works of literature, Shakespeare and Blake demonstrate the lasting impact that social striation has on individuals.

Othello, the Moor of Venice is a dramatic play that focuses on…

Romantic Lit

Romantic notions in Blake's "The Chimney Sweeper"

Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that occurred during the second half of the 18th century. During this time, a shift from previously established Enlightenment ideals to more natural, emotional, and personal themes was seen. Opposing forces within Romantic literature were Nature and the Self; Nature was seen as the source of goodness and it was through society and civilization that innocence of what was natural, and the natural order of things, was lost. One of the Romantic poets that best exemplified this concept was illiam Blake.

illiam Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience can be used to demonstrate how society and civilization have corrupted the inherent innocence of children. In Reading Between the Lines: A Christian Guide to Literature, Veith (1990) writes that "civilization was seen as corrupting the natural innocence of human beings; more primitive…

Romantic ideal in the poetry of William Blake, William Wordsworth and Walt Whitman shares the attitude that the most worthy part of human existence lies in simplicity and deep emotion rather than rational thought. Romanticism is based upon a movement away from the rationality of Enlightenment and the wealth-driven society inspired by Industrialism. This ideal is reflected in the work of the poets mentioned above. To demonstrate this, "The Chimney weeper," "Ode: Imitations of Immortality" and "I ing the Body Electric" from each respective poet are considered.

William Blake

Blake's poetry emphasizes the evils of existing power systems within society, and how these are used to oppress the poor and powerless. This is shown in his poem "The Chimney weeper." The little chimney sweeper is representative of the poor and oppressed suffering under the current systems of power. The parents and the church are images reflecting the oppressive forces. The…

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.

These poems demonstrate the versatility of illiam Blake's works and the scope of his talent. He utilized powerful images to convey moods and mindsets that tell…

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."

In these two poems, Mark Blake was allegorically relating the importance of God and religion in our lives. In The Little Black Boy, he gives an optimistic perception of God. The poem having the persona of an African child who questions his color and identity learns from his mother that God does not base his love on the color of one's skin. His mother also teaches him that the lives we have here on earth are temporary and but mere preparations of the rewards…

Most individuals fail to appreciate life to the fullest because they concentrate on being remembered as some of the greatest humans who ever lives. This makes it difficult for them to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, considering that they waste most of their time trying to put across ideas that are appealing to the masses. While many did not manage to produce ideas that survived more than them, others succeeded and actually produced thinking that remained in society for a long period of time consequent to their death.

Creativity is generally regarded as one of the most important concepts in society, considering that it generally induces intense feelings in individuals. It is responsible for progress and for the fact that humanity managed to produce a series of ideas that dominated society's thinking through time. In order for someone to create a concept that will live longer than him or…

In the future, this helps to give everyone a greater appreciation for the emotions and challenges that were endured. (Henry, n.d., pp. 522- 535) (Legett, n.d., pp. 802 -- 818) (Gray, n.d., pp. 678 -- 697)

In the Victorian Period, there is focus on showing the impact of the industrial revolution on society. In the poem Dover Beach, there is discussion about how this is creating vast disparities. Evidence of this can be seen with the passage that says, "Ah, love, let us be true

To one another! For the world, which seems. To lie before us like a land of dreams, So various, so beautiful) so new, Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain; and we are here as on a darkling plain. Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, Where ignorant armies clash by night." (Arnold, n.d.) This…

Your answer should be at least five sentences long.

The Legend of Arthur

Lesson 1 Journal Entry # 9 of 16

Journal Exercise 1.7A: Honor and Loyalty

1. Consider how Arthur's actions and personality agree with or challenge your definition of honor. Write a few sentences comparing your definition (from Journal 1.6A) with Arthur's actions and personality.

2. Write a brief paragraph explaining the importance or unimportance of loyalty in being honorable.

Lesson 1 Journal Entry # 10 of 16

Journal Exercise 1.7B: Combining Sentences

Complete the Practice Activity on page 202 of your text. After completing this activity, read over your Essay Assessment or another journal activity you've completed.

* Identify three passages that could be improved by combining two or more sentences with coordinating or subordinating conjunctions. Below the practice activity in your journal, write the original passages and the revised sentences you've created.

* Be sure to…

I was surprised by a lot of the darker imagery in a lot of his work, especially in "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell." I knew that his religious views were controversial, but in his day it would not have been too surprising if he ended up in some sort of legal trouble over what almost appear to be Satanistic statements.

A really like Blake's style, however, the way his images seem to blend together without clear boundary, like his concept of Heaven and Hell and what I could understand of the rest of his philosophy. The fact that he manages to kind of confuse the reader's mind using only the black and white of ink and paper is a truly astounding testament to his skill as a poet, and as an artists (with the use of color).

Wordsworth's Sonnets

The World is Too Much with Us"

1) We waste…

Childhood

Poets of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth century concerned themselves with childhood and its various experiences, but the particular historical and aesthetic contexts within which different poets wrote affected their perspective on the matter greatly. As literature moved from Romanticism to naturalism, the tone poets took when considering children and their place in society changed, because where children previously existed as a kind of emotional or romantic accessory, they soon became subjects in their own right, with their own experiences and perspectives. By examining illiam ordsworth's "Michael," illiam Blake's "The Chimney Sweeper," and .B. Yeats' "A Prayer for my Daughter," one is able to see how the gradual transition from Romanticism to naturalism brought with it a less exploitative consideration of children, one that better reflected their place in the rapidly changing world.

The first poem to examine is illiam ordsworth's "Michael," because it fall squarely in the…

The fear and the misery cannot be escaped. The image here is of a town brimming with people and yet they are alienated and oppressed.

One of the most powerful literary techniques Blake employs in the poem is irony. In the beginning of the poem, after Blake introduces the notion of misery, he follows it with the notion of freedom. Those in the city are no doubt free but they are still miserable and crying out for help. Here we see that freedom is not only going to mean that things are working out well. Indeed, free societies experiences tragedy though that is a concept we rarely choose to associate with freedom. It is also important to note that this misery stems from "the mind-forged manacles" (8) of the people. This tells us that much of the suffering that these people are experiencing is self-inflicted. This idea forces the reader…

The effect enhances the tone and rhythm of the poem, which is quite differently experienced when reading from print.

Reading the poem visually also assists with content and meaning. Listening to Stallworthy is much more of a purely musical experience, a lot like listening to a song but ignoring the lyrics. The lyrics and the vocal character of the singer are two separate things. Likewise, Blake's words and how the words sound are also two very different things. Both aspects of the poetry are meaningful and integral to a thorough understanding of the poem. Reading the poem in print offers much more of an opportunity to linger and spend time with individual words, phrases, and patterns of words. The audio encounter flies by, and unless the listener stops the recording it is impossible to focus on one particular aspect of the poem. Reading the poem visually allows the reader to…

Blake's "London"

My Questions:

hat are the "bans" the poet is speaking of in line 9 and what do they have to do with suffering?

hat can be done about man's suffering?

hy does Blake call it a marriage hearse instead of a marriage coach?

illiam Blake's poem, "London" is a reflection of Human Suffering

illiam Blake's poem, "London" illustrates a certain misery among its inhabitants. The poet tells us as he wandered through the streets, he sees "marks of weakness, marks of woe" (4) in every face he meets. In addition he hears "every cry of man" (5) and in every infant's cry and in every voice he hears:

How the Chimney-sweeper's cry

Every blackening Church appalls,

And the hapless Soldier's sigh

Runs in blood down Palace walls. (9-12)

This is a bleak and miserable portrait of the city. It is interesting to note that he not only sees…

Although the speaker means his words to be comforting to Tom, the reader is likely to find it grotesque.

The speaker tells the reader that Tom had a dream, where the young sweepers were set free of their "coffins of black" by an angel and were allowed to play as young children should in heaven (14). This shows how the priorities of society have gone awry -- instead of hoping to live to a ripe old age, children fantasize about dying young so they can act like children in paradise. The idea that God loves little children is betrayed by a society that uses religious rhetoric to encourage children to become content with their miserable lives and do their adult duties. The ending lines of the poem are perhaps the most ironic of all: "Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm; / So if all do their…

Fiction Messenger

Economic Injustice in the Fictional orks of Dickens and Gaskell

In his text on human commercial practices and economic behaviors, author James Black diverges from many of the dryer and less nuanced textual considerations of socioeconomic dynamics. He does so by couching his discussion in frequent divergences into iconic and modern works of fiction. These add a humanitarian consideration to many of his discussion points, helping to provide more complex rationales for why human beings in business and matters of money tend to behave the way they do. Beyond this, Black provides a compelling template for consideration of broader sociological concerns. This serves as an ideal framework for the present discussion, which considers pressing human issues such as poverty and labor conditions. Hereafter, we consider the works of Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell, both of whom would comment extensively on the economic affairs of societies in their highly…

The Lord will lead one to safety always. One can simply believe in something higher to get the meaning of this; it doesn't have to be Jesus. Psalm 127, contrarily is confusing because it states that unless the Lord builds the house, it is built in vain. This seems to be more literal, but I do get the idea. Unless the people building the house are doing it with the love of the Lord in their hearts, or building it for him, then what is the point?

Didactic poetry can be quite comforting as seen in Psalm 23 or it can be much too literal and seen as both confusing and condescending. Psalm 127 isn't very instructive spiritually speaking, unlike Psalm 23.

Updated Proverb: A broken toe can hurt, but a broken heart can kill.

Metaphors: Obscure or Illuminate? Didactic literature with its use of metaphors can sometimes obscure the…

oad not Taken, obert Frost uses the setting, mood, and characterization to help illuminate the theme of choice symbolized by the road not taken.

The poem uses various literary devices to describe choice.

The poem is set in the woods, where two roads diverge.

The setting is symbolic.

The roads represent choice.

The poem has a contemplative mood.

Each of the choices is appealing

The traveler knows that choosing one road means choosing not to follow the other road.

The poem has a complex structure with:

Four five-line stanzas;

ABAAB rhyme structure;

Iambic tetrameter; and D. The use of some anapests.

Frost uses an unnamed narrator in the poem

A. Old enough to have made choices

Not an old person because the narrator expects to age

Poetry Analysis: The oad not Taken by obert Frost

In The oad not Taken, obert Frost uses the narrator's voice to describe a man…