Student essay on The Chimney Sweeper

Brainstorm:

·         Innocence: uses of lexical discourse which has connotations of innocence and purity – ‘white hair’, ‘Angel’ and ‘joy’. White is often associated with pureness, as it is untainted, the Angel which was sighted by Tom has religious connotations (creating heavenly imagery), and the abstract noun ‘joy’ is associated with happiness and delight, all of which have evidently been incorporated in Blake’s world of innocence.

·         Experience: juxtaposes entirely the semantic field of virtuousness presented in the Songs of Innocence → e.g. ‘black’, ‘weep’ and ‘woe’. Black is the stark opposite of ‘white’ and is often associated with death and doom. The visceral verb ‘weep’ suggests poignancy and the repetition of this intensifies this indication. The abstract noun ‘woe’ has connotations of despondency also. This negative ambience contrasts that of the Songs of Innocence.

·         Innocence: The Biblical references are used to connote positivity and the view of religion in an optimistic light, for instance ‘He’d have God for his father’ suggesting Blake believes God will look after this unfortunate child chimney sweeper, and the ‘Angel had a bright key’ implies the Angel will unlock the opportunity for Tom to be cared for.

·         Experience: The Biblical references in the Songs of Experience are much more so associated with negativity. The phrase ‘who make up a heaven of misery’ makes the assertion that God’s kingdom is one of deceit, as while his parents attend church he is left to work in the chimneys. Also, Blake negatively presents the priests as well, and uses sarcasm in the line ‘and are gone to praise God & his Priest & King’.

·         Innocence: The plot to the Songs of Innocence is about a child finding it’s way to love and care. The first stanzas of the poem set the scene and evoke sympathy for the child who (is potentially an orphan) has to work in poor conditions, and he then is able to find God within himself and proceeds to feel much more able to continue working.

·         Experience: The plot to the Songs of Experience is very different, as we learn of how parents think they are being righteous by attending Church while they’re child goes to work in bitterly poor conditions, and it is inevitable that he will become cynical of the world.

Discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience in both poems of ‘The Chimney Sweeper’.

 

    Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience in both poems of ‘The Chimney Sweeper’ to be completely juxtapositional realms. The Chimney Sweeper in the Songs of Innocence is presented in almost the form of a story whereby a child reaches enlightenment and contentment as a result of his discovery of religion. The Chimney Sweeper in the Songs of Experience, however, is contrasting to this and has a consistently melancholic ambience throughout. The two dimensions are therefore dissimilar in many aspects in relation to the atmosphere of the poems, however, the literary and linguistic techniques may not be so disparate.

   Firstly, Blake represents the world of innocence to be one revolving around the idea of hope. The character in the Chimney Sweeper, Tom Dacre, is portrayed to be a symbol of this yearning. It is evident that the children of this time period are often the victim of poverty, but Blake cleverly injects his own personal religious beliefs in the poem to illustrate to the reader how religion can act as a saviour. The biblical references throughout the poem are used to connote aspiration and the view of religion in a positive light. For example, the line “He’d have God for this father” suggests that God will care for this unfortunate child, and furthermore, the line “The Angel had a bright key” implies that the Angel would unlock the opportunity for Tom to be cared for. As a result, the world of innocence therefore seems to be one of tenderness and has the chance for those in need to be cherished. However, the biblical references in the Songs of Experience indicate the stark opposite of that illustrated throughout the Songs of Innocence. The phrase ‘who make up a heaven of misery’ leaves the reader under the impression that God’s kingdom is one of deceit, as whilst this poor child is cleaning chimneys his parents are attending church to clear their conscience. This is further reinforced through the line ‘and are gone to praise God & his Priest & King’, which has a surreptitious hint of sarcasm; which allows Blake to insert his own negative view of priests. The world of experience is considered to be very cynical of religion, as it is evident that there is a distrust between the character in the poem and the theme of the Church. The perception of religion is therefore differentiated greatly between the two poems, as one is overwhelmingly positive, and the other is significantly more despondent.

   The world of innocence is considered to be almost a utopia; as Blake uses lexical discourse which has connotations of innocence and purity. For example, the adjective ‘white’ to describe Tom Dacre’s hair is often associated with pureness, as it is untainted. This suggests that in the worlds of innocence there is nothing target to corruption, as we learn of how Tom Dacre is able to find cheer within himself. In addition to this, the abstract noun ‘joy’ is induces the ambience to be filled of happiness, and suggests that the world of innocence very much operates on the basis of this emotion. We are therefore left under the impression that delight is a welcoming environment that the world of innocence is founded upon. However, when we compare the general mood of the poem to the Chimney Sweeper in the Songs of Experience, we are greeted with a much more poignant setting. The world of experience is entirely contradictory to the world of innocence and this harsh comparison conveys it to be a dystopia. The semantic field of virtuousness presented in the Songs of Innocence has been eradicated, and lexis linked to much darker emotions are presented. For example, the repetition of the visceral verb ‘weep’ suggests to the reader that the character in this poem is the object of dejection, as the fact that it is repeated twice in conjunction with emotive language, such as ‘woe’, provides an engulfing sense of guilt. Additionally, the adjective ‘black’ is used to describe the character, ‘a little black thing amongst the snow’; which demonstrates that his misery vividly stands out. There is an overpowering realisation that in the worlds of experience the strong emotion of depression cannot be escaped, which only intensifies the intense difference between the two worlds.

   However, in spite of the two domains existing with contrasting vibes, they often contain many similar techniques to present the way the worlds serve. For example, both poems encompass a semantic field of naturalistic imagery and description. The world of innocence is portrayed to be one of happiness, as the lines ‘then down a green plain leaping laughing they run And wash in a river and shine in the Sun’. The ‘river’ in culmination with the dynamic verb ‘wash’ has connotations that the orphaned chimney sweepers are washing away their sorrows as they relish the opportunity to find faith within themselves after an apparition of an Angel appeared to them. The eradication of sorrow conveys the perception that any misery existing in the world of innocence will always be diminished as sanguinity prevails. In addition, the reference to the ‘Sun’ in aggregation with the visceral verb ‘shine’ expresses the idea that optimism will always radiate throughout the world of innocence, despite whatever circumstances these ill-fated children may encounter. Analogously, in the Songs of Experience, Blake uses antithesis in the line ‘And smil’d among the winters snow’; again using the semantic field of nature and the seasons to convey emotion and sentiment. The stative verb ‘smile’ used alongside the ‘winter snow’ is juxtaposed as winter notoriously is associated with harsh weather conditions and the bitter cold. This leaves the reader with a captivating sense of pity; as it is evident that the child in this poem has to work in these environments whilst feigning that he is content. This emotional abyss and torment creates a conflict for the reader, and Blake cleverly evokes empathy and commiseration for a potentially hypothetical child. Although the idea being presented is entirely contrasting, Blake uses similar techniques to convey opposing messages, which ultimately illustrates how Blake can ingeniously embody different notions through similar literary techniques.

    In conclusion, Blake presents the worlds of innocence and experience to be zones of one’s lifetime that are entirely opposing, in terms of events and emotions. The juxtaposition between his multitude of concepts are so intense that the disparities between the two poems are exaggerated even more extensively. The world of innocence is renowned to be one of bliss and happiness, whereas the world of experience, on the other hand, is a realm of dismay. Blake uses a range of techniques to convey these emotions, such as imagery, abstract nouns and a semantic field of lexis to ensure the reader is experiencing the sensations he intended them to.

A student's analysis of the Chimney Sweeper in 'Songs of Innocence and Experience'

The Chimney Sweeper (songs of innocence and experience)

In Blake’s poems both innocence and experience (The Chimney sweeper) we see child cruelty during the time of Blake’s life and his views on such an act. We see that Chimney sweeping in this instance is merely one act of many just to show the vindictiveness brought on to children but could be changed to anything such a Work houses, and being a pupil at school.  

In The chimney Sweeper (songs of innocence) we notice that the imagery is very biblical. Although Blake describes the horrific job of the chimney sweepers, we are also made to believe that they are insulated from their working conditions by religious views. The use of religious descriptions of ‘angel figures’ implies very innocent surroundings as religion connotes innocence because it frowns upon temptation and evil acts. This challenges the idea of the ‘real world’ in which Tom Dacre lives in where Child Slavery is rife. Blake at a young age was very spiritual and claimed that he could see angel and spirits and this could be very influential in his writing and his idea of innocence. These issues of child cruelty also come across in The chimney Sweeper (songs of experience). ‘They clothed me in the clothes of death’, this suggests that the mother and father of the child have sent them to work in clothes they will one day put on them for a funeral as Chimney Sweepers’ families were often very poor. The idea of sending a child to their doom nowadays seems horrific as we cannot imagine killing off our own children for money. However, this could mirror a modern day civilization where there are many incidents of child cruelty through neglect and child abuse. This shows that Blake’s poems are very timeless and can be related to modern day society three hundred years later. 

The line ‘That curl’d like a lambs back’ suggests that the child is explained as if he were a lamb. In the bible Jesus(the lamb) was sacrificed o the cross to save the Christians. Maybe Blake views the children as ‘a lamb’ because society had almost sacrificed their children as slaves to get more money and save their poor society? However the horror of Child Labour is that children are locked in a society of unkindness and cannot get out. Tom’s Dream allows the angel to unlock an idealistic paradise where the children are freed to go without any rules. This could be Blake’s idea of innocence shown through playing in paradise. 

The colour white shows the innocence of the children in the paradise. Blake is writing a message to society that children should be playing. ‘then naked and white’, this reflects in the Poem in songs of experience where Blake calls the child ‘a little black thing’. His choice of colour shows that in this poem that the child is tarred with experience which is all over his body. Underneath the black, the child is white, suggesting that this child is innocent and should not be treated cruelly. Using vocabulary such as ‘little’ makes the reader empathise with the child as it seems helpless and weak, this also demonstrates the experience that the child has at he obviously has been mistreated for his outcome to be weak or helpless.  Finally, the use of colour in Blakes poems can show the difference in innocence or experience, in this poem Innocence is portrayed pure and white on the inside and experience is shown on the outside through the colour black. 

In the songs of experience- The chimney sweeper, the Parents think their child is happy? It is suggested by the language ‘praise God & his Priest & King Who make up a heaven of our misery’ that the chimney sweeper is angry at his death. The imagery made in ‘heaven of our misery’ creates appearance that all children that have died are angry at society ignoring the pain of their death. This is reinforced with the sarcasm that comes through this line and maybe shows he has lost his innocence by the ignorance of the parents and church. Which undermines the importance of the church in the Chimney Sweeper (songs of innocence) where we think that religion is there to blanket the children from their cruelty by Tom’s dream of the angel. 

723 words 

Analysing the rhythm in Blake

What is rhythm? How does a student analyse the effects of rhythm in poetry?

Definitions

Prosody = the study of rhythm in poetry, sometimes called metrical analysis.

Rhythm is the BEAT of language: it is the most important element of language in combination with meaning… “Rhythm is the heart-beat of language” F Gilbert 11th October 2013

1. Read the poem out aloud.

 2. Then clap out the rhythm.

3. Then think about the effects of the rhythm: what does it make you think, feel and see? What is the difference between rhythm and rhyme?

Rhythm = the beat of the poem, where the hard and soft stresses go.

Rhyme = is where there are similar sounds, usually vowel sounds, that chime together, eg blue shoe poo you

The most important thing with rhythm and rhyme is to discuss the EFFECTS they create: What mood does it create? What ideas/themes/images/emotions does it emphasize or highlight?

Use these descriptions to help you describe the effect of the rhythm:

Fast: speedy; fast-paced; quick; lively; energetic; enthusiastic; passionate; fiery;

Slow; sluggish; heavy; slow-paced; emphatic; leaden; lethargic; tired; lugubrious; gloomy;

I have highlighted the heavy beats in bold here:

Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Gave thee life & bid thee feed,
By the stream & o’er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing wooly bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice:
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee

Metre = the science of rhythm in poetry, metrical analysis 5 main types of metre: A rising rhythm Iamb = di-DUM, ie a soft beat followed by a hard beat, eg “I wander through each chartered street near where the chartered Thames does flow”, this an iambic rhythm, The iamb has two syllables in it. More than two syllables: Anapaest (anapest) = di-di-DUM A falling rhythm Trochee = DUM-di, or trochaic metre, ie a HARD beat followed by a soft one. Eg “Little Lamb who made thee” Dactyl = DUM-di-di SPONDEE = two HARD BEATS

Analysing the lexical choices in The Divine Image, The Human Abstract, The Lamb and the Tyger

13Enb: Essay titles

Michael:

Using these poems: Holy Thursday, the Songs of Experience and Innocence and two other poems of your choice, discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience.

Jez:

Using these poems: A Cradle Song and the Poison Tree; A Dream and The Angel, discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience.

Sarah and Harry:

Using these poems: The Sick Rose, Pretty Rose Tree, Ah Sunflower, The Lilly; Blossom; Spring, discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience

Emily and Georgia:

Using these poems: The Lamb and The Tyger and two other poems of your choice, discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience

Sophie and Georgia:

Using these poems: The Chimney Sweeper poems (both Innocence and Experience) discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience.

Nahum and Millie:

Using these poems: The Ecchoing Green and The Garden of Love and two other relevant poems;  discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience

Kabir and Britney:

Using these poems:  The Laughing Song, Infant Joy and Infant Sorrow discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience 

Hollie :

Using these poems: On Anothers Sorrow, The Divine Image, The Human Abstract discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience.

Jez:

Using these poems: The Little Boy Lost and Found (Innocence), The Little Girl Lost and Found (Experience) The School Boy; discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience.

Student presentation on The Songs of Innocence and Experience

My videos on the beginning of the Songs of Innocence: Introduction, The Shepherd, The Ecchoing Green, The Lamb

 

 

Learning Objectives: to learn how Blake builds up a sense of a world of innocence through the introductory poems to the Songs of Innocence.

 

Look at these videos and then write at least a page of explanation as to how and why Blake builds up the sense of a world of innocence. In order to do this, you could answer these questions: what sort of emotions do people feel in the "world of innocence"? What do they do, and how do they behave? What is the atmosphere and setting? How does Blake use poetic techniques to evoke this world of innocence? 

One student's analysis of the Chimney Sweeper, the Introduction and The Shepherd

The Chimney Sweeper:

The chimney sweeper is a poem which shares a story from the perspective of what seems to be a child who is a chimney sweeper. It addresses the tragedy of young children being sold due to their small size and in turn ability to sweep chimney efficiently in the early past of London. It highlights the innocence of the children as it is detailed that Tom, perhaps a friend of the speaker of the poem, has his head shaved and as a result cries. As this is detailed the comparison is made of Tom to a lamb: ‘curl’d like lambs back’. This is one of many references by Blake to Lambs throughout his poems as a lamb is typically seen as a symbol of sacrifice particularly within religion. Of course the lamb cannot defend itself which in turn reflects its innocence. Furthermore it has committed no sin to deserve to be sacrificed. We later see Blake compare the discussed chimney sweeping children to Lambs yet again: ‘naked and white’. I believe the end of the poem seems to suggest that death is perhaps a better option for the children forced to perform manual labor as the last two stanzas seem to detail their journey to heaven: ‘he’d have God for his father and never want joy’.

Introduction:

The first poem within the songs of innocence is yet again one which clearly reflects the theme of innocence. We see references to children, lambs and general references to feelings of happiness and joy, these being directly related to innocence. We see Blake describe water as ‘clear’. This adjective connotes purity as it insinuates that the water is in its purest form, having not been in any way polluted of affected from its natural state. The continual references to ‘pipes’ is perhaps in connection with the myth of the greek god Pan. This is as this god is associated with playing a pipe in the countryside spreading joy. Again relating to innocence. \=

The Shepherd:

The shepherd is another poem with which posseses religious context. The poem details the shepherd’s dedication to his sheep, much like several quotes from john 10:11 detail. Furthermore this position of course directly relates to sheep, a recurring symbol throughout the songs of innocence, as well as a direct reflection of innocence. Quotes from john 10:14 also detail a shepherd’s awareness of his sheep, as does this example of Blake’s poetry: ‘He is watchful while they are in peace.’ Perhaps this is due to Blake’s spiritualist background and belief in God, although not in a conventional Christian sense. We see Blake describe the Lambs of the poem as innocent also: ‘the lambs innocent call’. 

Blake’s ‘Clod and the Pebble’: is love unselfish (the Clod) or selfish (the Pebble)?

Love seeketh not Itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care;
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a Heaven in Hells despair.

So sang a little Clod of Clay
Trodden with the cattles feet;
But a Pebble of the brook,
Warbled out these metres meet.

Love seeketh only Self to please,
To bind another to Its delight:
Joys in another’s loss of ease,
And builds a Hell in Heaven’s despite.

You can compare different versions of the poems here.

Essay titles for 13c En

Essays – Deadline Friday 11^th October

 

 

Liam:

Using these poems: Holy Thursday, the Songs of Experience and Innocence, discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience.

 

Poppy:

Using these poems: A Cradle Song and the Poison Tree; A Dream and The Angel, discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience.

 

Meaghan:

Using these poems: The Sick Rose, Pretty Rose Tree, Ah Sunflower, The Lilly; Blossom; Spring, discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience

 

Ellena:

Using these poems: The Lamb and The Tyger and two other poems of your choice, discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience

 

Harry:

Using these poems: The Chimney Sweeper poems (both Innocence and Experience) discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience.

 

Alice:

Using these poems: The Ecchoing Green and The Garden of Love and two other relevant poems;  discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience

 

Tiffany:

Using these poems:  The Laughing Song, Infant Joy and Infant Sorrow discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience

 

Danielle:

Using these poems: On Anothers Sorrow, The Divine Image, The Human Abstract discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience.

 

Matthew:

Using these poems: The Little Boy Lost and Found (Innocence) The School Boy;  discuss the ways in which Blake represents both the worlds of innocence and experience.