What is the moral of the poem The Chimney Sweeper?
The moral at the end of the poem is the statement of the young sweep who narrates the poem. The poem thus holds a mirror up to its readers: it is you who deceive children with this false morality, just as it is ‘your chimneys’ (verse 1, line 4) that are responsible for having boy sweeps in the first place.
Why did the narrator’s father sell him to be a chimney sweeper?
Ans:- The young chimney sweepers were innocent boys who did not have a proper childhood. They were sold by their parents when they were young. They had to work in the dark sooty chimneys and they would be covered in soot. And since their hair would become covered with soot, their heads would be shaved.
What is the poem structure of the chimney sweeper?
The poem is made up of six stanzas of AA BB rhyme. The first three lines are bleak, the first dividing into two halves of trochaic metre with the emphases on: ‘When my mother died I was very young’.
What does Chimney Sweeper symbolize?
In William Blake’s poem, “The Chimney Sweeper” from the book, Songs of Innocence, Blake mocks society through the use of symbolism in light versus dark in order to show a sense of contrast in the chimney sweepers’ innocence versus their inevitable destiny.
How does The Chimney Sweeper show empathy?
Already Blake creates pity in his audience, but the second meaning of this image provokes even more empathy as the image of the lamb symbolizes innocence, purity, and meekness, and Blake’s decision to compare it to a boy’s shaved head indicates the loss of these three qualities.
What is the symbolism in the chimney sweeper?
Darkness: Darkness is a recurring image in “The Chimney Sweeper.” The black coffins, the soot of the chimney, and the skin of the chimney sweeper covered in ash signify a loss of innocence. White is often associated with innocence in Christian symbolism, so the vivid imagery of darkness stands in direct contrast.
Why was the little boy crying in the poem The Chimney Sweeper?
Tom is crying because his hair is shaved off. The narrator reassures Tom that it’s better to have a shaved head because then the soot from the chimneys that they sweep won’t get into his hair and make it messy. He also says that he sleeps in soot.
What does the phrase coffins of black signify in the poem The Chimney Sweeper?
“Coffins of black” represents innocence and what is done to innocent children.
What is the theme of The Chimney Sweeper Songs of Experience?
“The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience)” Themes “The Chimney Sweeper” is a poem about the corrupting influence of organized religion on society. It specifically suggests that the Church encroaches on the freedoms and joys of childhood and, indeed, robs children of their youth.