How does Blake evoke a strong sense of pity for the children in the poem?
Blake evokes a strong sense of pity from the reader for the children in several ways. Firstly, he bombards the reader with a list of things that has happened to the speaker within the first few lines of the poem; "When my mother died, I was very young, / And my father sold me" (lines 1-2). The use of diction "and" and "so" is also repeated throughout the poem, and this adds to the sense that horrible events just continue to pile up on the children, "and" meaning "to make things worse" and "so" meaning "as a result of this".
In line 3, the child "could scarcely cry 'weep weep weep weep'". The auditory imagery highlights the vulnerability of the child, and the fact that the child could "scarcely cry" shows that the children did not have the power to speak or alert others of the horrible situation in which the lived, adding to the sense of helplessness.
How does Blake use imagery for impact?
Blake continues to evoke empathy throughout the poem with the use of imagery to describe/highlight three main points;
- The innocence and fragility of the children, as well as their youth
"curled like a lamb's back" (line 6) - young and innocent
"the soot cannot spoil your white hair" (line 8) "naked and white" (line 17) - angelic/cherub-like presence, highlights purity of the soul - The conditions in which the children live and how society is responsible for this
"locked up in coffins of black" (line 12) - the words "locked up" shows that they have been forced unwillingly by society in their situation. "coffins of black" could symbolise chimneys, and the use of the word "coffins" is related to the fact that many chimney-sweepers died working. This imagery places the blame on society, because if there was no demand for chimney-sweepers, then these children would not be in this situation - The life that these children should be living
"down a green plain leaping, laughing they run, / and wash in a river and shine in the sun" - this pastoral imagery is used to show the freedom that these children deserve and how they belong in nature, not in the industrial world
The last stanza stands out from the rest of the poem because throughout the poem the speaker appears to be in a dreamlike state, while the last stanza brings the speaker as well as the reader back into reality, which is "if all do their duty, they need not fear harm". This last line shows that these innocent children have been manipulated into believing what others tell them and into following authority, which continues to evoke sympathy from readers. The last line also seems to finalise the fact that there is really no escape; all the children have are their hopes and dreams as a temporary escape from the harsh reality.
What ironies does Blake highlight in this poem?
Blake highlights several ironies in this poem. Firstly, the last line of the poem is ironic because their duty is, in fact, very harmful for the children. This reinforces the point that Blake is trying to make concerning the lack of hope. In line 19, "the angel told Tom if he'd be a good boy, / he'd have God for his father and never want joy". This seems like a false promise because these children are pure and they are good, and it is as if the only way they would ever never want joy is if they died. Would these children rather find peace in death or live life as a chimney-sweeper? The third irony highlighted in this poem is in line 23 "though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm". This highlights the nature of children and how they try to be happy by searching for the positive in everything. However, we all know that it is futile, especially as this line is coupled with the last line of the poem, adding to the effect and sense of helplessness.
What are the most evocative elements in this poem? Why?
In my opinion, one of the most evocative elements in this poem is the blatant contrast of the imagery of the innocent children and the situation that they are in, as this evokes a strong sense of pity from the readers. Another evocative element in the poem is the subtle accusatory tone, which is found in several parts of the poem; "so your chimneys I sweep" (line 4), "locked up" (line 12) and "if all do their duty" (line 24). This tone pulls readers in and open their eyes to the reality of the situation these children are locked up in.
