The Chimney Sweeper - Songs of Innocence

The Chimney-Sweeper is a poem that highlights the cruel situation of child labour and the escape that God can offer the children who have been locked up by society.

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;

1. 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
   
2. 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
3. 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
   

How does the last line stand out from the rest of the poem?
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.

Questions on "The Lamb"

Comment on the auditory effects of the poem

The diction Blake uses contributes to the auditorily pleasing effect of the poem. Most of the words in the poem are mono-syllabic, which highlights its simplistic nature which in turn emphasizes the innocence and pureness of the lamb. The endings of each line are usually soft and long and coupled with a pleasing vowel sound reflects upon the lamb's innocence and in addition adds a comforting effect. This for example is illustrated in the lines:
"Gave thee life and bid thee feed / By the stream and o'er the mead"


How does the rhyme scheme add to the reading of the poem?

The rhyme scheme "AABB" gives the poem a sense on continuity; it flows smoothly without any disruptions. which again adds to the pleasant and calming effect. It makes the readers feel soothed and relaxed upon listening to it being read.


What does the imagery suggest about Blake's view of the Lamb?

The visual imagery portrayed in this poem are very pastoral. This highlights the innocence of the lamb as readers get a picture of an idyllic habitat in which it lives in. Blake views the lamb as a creature of innocence but at the same time also vulnerable. This is emphasized through his use of diction such as the word "softest", which is used to describe the lamb's lavish coat of fur. This suggested that the lamb is pampered and provided with the best form of protection for its body. Additionally, the word "tender", which is used to describe its voice depicts an image of a child who has not been exposed to the harsh and real world yet.


What literary devices add to the pleasant effect of the poem?

The use of assonance, the repetition of the 'e' sound is especially emphasized in the second stanza. The sound is akin to the bleating of a lamb, and is also a sound associated with happiness and cheerfulness. Also, the diction used to describe the lamb in the poem makes the lamb appear non-threatening and harmless as there are no negative connotations implied by any of the words in the poem. The use of capitalization in the poem is significant. The capitalization of "Lamb" and "God" suggests that they are both interrelated to each other and are of equal importance. Also, the use of the epithet "Little Lamb" emphasizes the lamb's innocence both physically (how it is young) and mentally (how it is vulnerable)


What is the effect of indentation and the use of rhetorical questions?

The use of indentation is to split the poem into two parts; the first part from lines 1 to 10, and the second from lines 11 to 20. The first part of the poem consists of rhetorical questions while the second part provides answers to the questions that are posted. I think the significance of this is to bring the attention to the readers that there is only one answer for all the questions asked, and it is clearly God. The increased use of punctuation, namely full-stops in the second part of the poem gives a degree of finality to the answer, as though it is not to be questioned further or debated. Rhetorical questions in this poem are used to emphasize the power of God as He is the creator of the lamb and the environment in which the lamb dwells. It is as though the poetic voice is asking the lamb how it came to be and the fact that the lamb is unable to answer highlights how innocent and inexperienced it is.

Identify the tone in the poem

A didactic tone is present in the poem, especially in the second part of the poem. It is as though the poetic voice is educating the Little Lamb about the power of God and His creations. There is also a tranquil and serene tone present which gives off a comforting and soothing effect, as though the readers are being told a story due to the poem's hymn-like nature.

Questions on "The Tyger" by William Blake

5) What is the effect of trochaic metre and use of spondee?

Trochaic metre involves a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable, which creates a natural rise and fall during the reading of the poem, making it sound like a song. Take lines 1+2 as an example, “Tiger, tiger, burning bright / in the forests of the night,” the trochaic metre couple with the aabb rhyme scheme have a melodic effect when reading “The Tyger.”

Blake does not consistently use the trochaic metre within the poem, sometimes breaking it, like in line 19, he breaks the trochaic metre, starting the line with an unstressed syllable, creating an involuntary pause in the poem, accentuating the question that the poetic persona is posing, “Did he who make the lamb make thee?”

Blake’s use of spondee adds a somewhat negative feel to certain lines within the poem, because its interruption of the trochaic metre creates heaviness. In line 16, for example, Blake makes use of the words “deadly” and “terrors” which are both spondees. In this particular stanza, the punctuation used by Blake increases the pace at which the stanza is read creating an air of insistence. Having these two spondees juxtaposed with each other significantly slows the pace, causing the reader to linger over the line, changing the attitude from one of insistent questioning, to one of pensiveness.

6) Analyse the syntax and diction of “What dread hand? and What dread feet?

Line 12 makes effective use of the word “dread.” When used as an adjective today it describes something greatly feared, however archaically it was used as an adjective to describe something regarded with awe.

This double meaning that the word possesses is in keeping with the overall tone of Blake’s poem, where the narrative voice is both in awe of the beast while fearing it. The word highlights the idea that the being who created the Tyger must also be revered and dreaded. If Blake hade chosen to use the word “dreadful” the line would not have this double effect.

Blake could have chosen to place the adjective in the line after the noun (i.e. “What hand of dread? And what feet of dread?”) this would have required the addition of the preposition “of” in order for it to make sense, and thus would have interrupted not only the rhyme, but the rhythm of the stanza. With the adjective before the noun, the noun gains more importance, so the reader focuses on the idea of the hands and the feet of the creator, rather than the “dread” attached to them.

William Blake: Jacob's Ladder

Blake's painting of Jacob's ladder depicts a staircase of angels walkin up and down while Jacob lies at the bottom, asleep. This is supposed to not only show the story in the Bible, where Jacob dreams of the staircase to heaven, but also is supposed to reflect the inner workings of the soul.
I find this painting so fascinating because of its vivid colours, and the graceful movement in the way the angels and the staircase was painted. It is very interesting that the angels look like they are regular people, albeit very beautiful ones, chatting to one another and carrying pots and baskets, as if they were going to and from the market place. Only a few of them have wings. There is a beauty in the normality of the angels' movement, perhaps because what they are doing is so human. This may have been done to signify how people in normal life are in fact incredibly beautiful because of their simplicity and yet colourful emotions.
Farther up the staircase, couples can be seen embracing, symbolising love. This shows Blake's idea that the only way for a person to get to the highest spiritual status is to go through these powerful emotions.

God Judging Adam

"God Judging Adam"

William Blake, 1795

As the title suggests, this etching shows God passing final Judgement on Adam, the first man.

Both men are shown to be old, with long flowing beards and hair. In fact, the only real distinguishing feature between Adam and God is that God is clothed but Adam is not. Possibly Blake is trying to make a point about how men are made in God's image, and thus emphasise how men have failed to emulate God's ideals or teachings.

Adam's nakedness, coupled with the fact that God is seated and elevated above Adam highlights Adam's low status. God seems to be seated on some sort of chariot, pulled by a fantastical horse, whose mane seems quite flame-like. This idea of flames is echoed in the reds and oranges that seem to make up the circular carriage or throne God is seated on. Heaven is not usually associated with fire or flame - maybe Blake is trying to make God seem more terrifying by surrounding God with brushstrokes and colours that bring flames to mind. The use of colour/texture seems to present an atmosphere of anger - God is angry with Adam.

artwork by william blake.

This watercolour piece entitled 'Jacob's ladder' was derived from the book of Genesis (28,12), where Jacob had a dream in which he saw a ladder extending to the gate of heaven.

This ladder in this painting represents an important symbolic motif. It was often used to convey the interlocking world of God, the soul and man. In some Hermetic texts, the ladder was depicted as a series of chains, each representing a different "sphere" of consciousness. All of these spheres were linked together, and like man, were each connected to "the true essence of God."