Whereas, in the songs of experience, The Chimney Sweeper, Blake dehumanises chimney sweepers by describing them as ‘a little black thing’ Blake uses this imagery to show the reader how society see a chimney sweeper; thus by calling them ‘things’ instead of children, Blake insinuates to the reader that society do not treat chimney sweepers as humans but as ‘things’ therefore, Blake ironically implies to the reader that it shouldn’t be wrong to refer to them as ‘things’ instead of children because that is the way they are treated.
In verse 1, the songs of innocence, Blake uses strong imagery giving the reader power as he states ‘so your chimneys I sweep’. Blake does this to target the reader by identifying the reader as the hypocritical society within his poem and in the real world; by giving the reader power, Blake implies to the reader that as the protagonist states ‘so your chimneys I sweep’ the reader is the only one that can stop children from sweeping his chimney as he is the one with power.
Also in the songs of experience, verse 1, Blake uses a pun on ‘weep’ to describe the word sweep with the word ‘woe’ added. This is shown in verse1 where it states ‘crying ‘weep, weep’ in notes of woe!’ Blake does this to imply to the reader that as society go to church to sing hymns, praising god, the chimney sweepers’ sweep and cry in ‘notes of woe’ almost in opposition to god.
In verse 2, the songs of innocence, The Chimney Sweeper, Blake uses imagery to compare Toms’ hair to a lambs’ back; which is a metaphor for Jesus, the ultimate reference to innocence. This imagery is used by Blake in verse 2 where it states ‘little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head, that curled like a lambs’ back’. This imagery is used to imply to the reader that these chimney sweepers were sacrificed, the way Jesus was; to save their family from poverty, which they have to suffer for; by working as chimney sweepers and paying for their families sins.
Whereas, in the songs of experience, from the start the chimney sweepers are not portrayed in the same way; their innocence is taken away by adults. This poem is much darker than the songs of innocence. This is shown as from the start of the poem the child is described as ‘a little black thing’; then, further on in the poem it states in verse 2 ‘because I was happy on the heath’ …. ‘They clothed me in the clothes of death’. By writing this, Blake is ironically implying that surely, there must be some reason why these children are in such a sorry position and that reason must their fault; he is insinuating that it must be due to the fact that these children were ‘happy on the heath’. Blake ironically does this to indicate that this is how society thinks; that they are not to blame for child labour when they really are and have no excuse for why it happens.
In the songs of innocence, verse 2, Blake uses colour to imply that these chimney sweepers cannot be touched with sin. This implication is made in verse 2 as it states ‘when your head’s bare, you know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair’ Blake does this because the colour white is pure and the colour of soot is black which is seen as impure sin and by writing ‘when your heads bare, you know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair’, Blake is insinuating that the impureness of the soot cannot interfere with the purity of the child’s ‘white hair’ so therefore, the child cannot be touched with sin.
Whereas, in the songs of experience, verse 1, Blake uses colour to imply to the reader that these chimney sweepers are impure and are almost outcasts to society. Blake does this by opening the poem with ‘a little black thing among the snow’. By writing this Blake brings the imagery to the reader that something black and impure is within the clean, white snow making chimney sweepers look like outcasts, and due to the colour of the chimney sweepers being black, they are seen as sinners in society.
In the songs of innocence, verse 4, Blake uses strong imagery to imply that religion will set you free. This is shown in verse 4 as Blake states ‘And by came an angel who had a bright key, and he opened the coffins and set them all free.’ Blake uses the words ‘bright key’ to symbolise that the key has come from heaven and from god; when Blake states ‘set them all free’ the implication is made that religion will set you free this gives hope to the reader that if they believe in religion, it will set them free.
In the songs of innocence, Blake uses the dream of Tom Dacre almost as a comforting lullaby told to the chimney sweepers to make them feel better. This is shown as in verse 4 it states ‘then down a green plain leaping laughing they run.’ Blake writes this to insinuate to the reader that these chimney sweepers feel better by knowing about this dream as they are innocent. By writing ‘leaping laughing they run’ Blake gives the image to the reader that the chimney sweepers are happy which indicates to the reader that the chimney sweepers will be happy as they will be in heaven.
Whereas, in the songs of experience, Blake insinuates that religion cannot help the chimney sweepers. This is shown in verse 1 as it states “‘where are thy father and mother? Say!’ ‘They are both gone up to the church to pray.’” By Blake writing this, he is implying that religion cannot help because religion is almost to blame for the hypocrisy of society that causes the terrible life of the chimney sweepers; he uses adults as a poor example of Christian behaviour as they go to church every Sunday,
Yet they sell their children as chimney sweepers.
On the other hand, in the songs of innocence, Blake uses the dream of Tom dacre and religion to give hope to chimney sweepers. This is shown in the last verse of poem 1 as Blake writes ‘so if all do their duty, they need not fear harm.’ When Blake writes ‘duty’ he means do your duty by the Christian religion which is to believe in Jesus; by writing this, Blake implies that the chimney sweepers feel happy due to the hope of freedom religion gives them in terms of where they will be in the afterlife.
Whereas, in the last two lines of the second chimney sweeper poem, Blake implies that a chimney sweeper’s life is hopeless. This is shown within an oxymoron that states ‘And are gone to praise God and his priest and king, who make up a heaven of our misery.’ By writing this, Blake implies that as adults go to the church to praise god, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the oxymoron shows that religion is to blame as parents are praising god whilst their children are having a terrible life as chimney sweepers.
Blake’s messages in both his chimney sweeper poems are contrasting; where in the first chimney sweeper poem from the book songs of innocence, his message is that religion is the answer to all difficulties; his second chimney sweeper poem from the book songs of experience, communicates the message that religion is to blame for the hypocrisy of society which causes problems like child labour.
The chimney sweeper poem in the songs of innocence is a naive poem that establishes the innocence of a chimney sweeper; reminding the reader that they are still children. Blake’s message uses religion to give meaning to life and life after death; its message is to do your duty in life and you will be rewarded by having eternal life with god.
The chimney sweeper poem in the songs of experience is a much more experienced and darker poem about the life of chimney sweepers; it talks about how society perceives chimney sweepers and takes away their innocence. Blake almost blames religion for the state the chimney sweepers are in; and he gives the message of no hope due to religion creating a hypocritical society. Blake describes society by stating in the last line of poem 2 that they are ‘making a heaven of our misery’.
