William Blake Songs of Innocence and of Experience Poetry Detailed Analysis
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Course
English
Institution
Sixth Year / 12th Grade
Book
Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Detailed analysis of several of William Blake's poems from his collection of illustrated poems: Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Poems covered include; The Chimney Sweeper, London, The Echoing Green, Holy Thursday and several more. Important quotes with literary and structural features include...
A* A-level English Literature Essay Social and Political Protest Writing in Blake's Poetry
an A grade the echoing green essay- blake poetry
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The Chimney Sweeper (Innocence)
Stanza 1 Told from viewpoint of another child - this one acts as an observer to the latest apprentice Tom Dacre
Absence of his parents - without any parental care - victim of circumstances - dangerous time to live,
disease ridden, poor diets shortening people's lifespan - mum has passed away
At this time and place there were many orphans by a high mortality rate in the city - due to threats to life.
Not a safe/healthy environment to live in.
Father sold me - verb 'sold' - financial transaction that you are enslaved - someone has bought the right to
your life - enslaved to master in his apprenticeship - form of slavery
Money they earn will go back to master - lodging, food, in some apprenticeships the education - to pay
back initial debt of master taking child on
We could see him as an abandoning and neglectful father, or we could see him as another victim himself of
poverty - couldn't afford to keep his child - at least they will be fed and a place to sleep - for survival -
sympathetic viewpoint
Blake highlights child's helplessness and youth - familiar lexis 'cry' - sound of crying
Dual meaning - in London can mean both call for trade and expression of unhappiness
Endless, plaintive sorrowful cry - epizeuxis - but also crying out as a call for trade
2 stressed repeated syllables - spondaic - relentless and endless cry - heavy and successive strong/stressed
syllable - 'weep! - apostrophe for s (sweep)
Your chimneys - directly addressing reader - we are part of this social problem - creates sense of guilt and
personal responsibility
Sweep and soot I sleep - sibilance, simple, monosyllabic lexis - creating sense of sympathy for them and
guilt perhaps for being complicit in this
Telling us the conditions he has to exist in - harsh and unpleasant physical conditions
Unclean and dirty due to soot
Perhaps sleeping on sack of soot for bedding
We feel sense of sympathy for child and the conditions he is living in
Stanza 2 Poem is a ballad: Protagonist = Tom, story told by anonymous child
Child given a name unlike other poems - humanizes him and his story - we can identify with him and love
him more
Emotional condition = sadness, fearful - we associate these things with experience
Sad about hair being shaved
Shaving head - destroys individuality, practical and impact is dehumanizing
'Curled like a lamb's fleece' - visual image/simile - feeling of softness - lamb = imagine it to be white -
associated with innocence and purity - not yet corrupted by exploitation. Lamb is symbol of innocence -
meek and child of God, white – simple, pure. Stripped of his humanity and individuality.
Role of narrator of ballad = comforting Tom
'Hush Tom' - has had to prematurely adopt role of more experienced, nurturing and wiser figure - seems
ironic he has to comfort him yet it is due to absence of protective adults that child has to step in and do it.
Narrator embodies characteristics of innocence - as he hasn't been corrupted himself by the degradation of
his experiences - he is able to love and be generous to another
'can't spoil white hair' - he can't be spoiled - he will remain in some way uncorrupted and untouched.
Angelic figure - uncorrupted and pure
Stanza 3 Tom's emotional conditions develop in Stanza 3 -He was quiet - at peace and comforted
‘And so' - narrative structural feature - tells us what happens next - tells us the result
Numerical reference 'thousands' - literal or hyperbolic it communicates same idea that it emphasizes the
scale of child exploitation and child labour - dream is representing social problem - typically romantic to
move from real world to dream world
Dream is for child to escape from harsh reality
Exclamative - amazing and astounding - note-worthy
Four names - referencing names - generic boy's names of the period and typical - common names for late
18th century - names that are the shorter versions of the names - informal versions
Perhaps referencing class - working class boys
Locked up in coffins of black - coffin refers to death - black = dirt, soot
To predict/give a warning/sign of death - portent of death/it would portend their death/portentous of
death - a premonition
Metaphor for the chimney
Stanza 4 Dream of entering heaven
Angel - celestial and extra-terrestrial, spiritual figure that frees them
Adjective - bright - glowing, holy, hopeful
Death = release from imprisonment of work and poverty
Wrong that the fact that death is the only escape from this - change is needed, upheaval of systems,
classes, institutions fighting for change
Rural paradise - stark contrast to life they live
'green plain leaping'
, 'laughing they run'
'wash in a river'
'shine in the sun'
Freedom and joy of child's play rather than spending long days working in terrible conditions. Leaping and
laughing - rhythm changes - trochaic lexis - creates feeling of lifting and rising in the air - joyful spirits have
allowed them to run free. Ing verbs - present participle verbs - action - in motion - suggests continuous
motion/action
Clean and warm - juxtaposes the reality - light rather than dark coffins - brightness of their skin
River - religious connotations of being washed from sin and corruption - cleansed - newly baptized
Stanza 5 Naked - without sin and shame
Associations with Edenic absence of sin
White - clean but also pure - colour symbolism
Bags left behind - moving on - equipment left - leaving work - no longer needed and is cast off
Left behind constraints of physical existence
Not burdened anymore - they can play
Nature is united with them
Clouds - conventional image of heaven but also symbol in Blake's poems as being the soul of the body that
traps the spirit/soul when born
Their souls have left their bodies - risen from bodies
Cloud - traps spiritual soul at birth
Never want joy - never be in want for - they would have plenty of joy - all they need
Really comforting promise to have God for his father - God will welcome you, heaven will be there for him
Perhaps seems to compliment little black boy - rejoice in his tent - god was there for him
Conditions on accessing heaven
Issue - it is conditional and other issue = lays down condition of obedience and lack of complaint
(uncomplaining) to do his duty
Has to keep on working
Blake doesn't approve suffering prolonged without complaint
Angel seems to be saying opposite of with Blake strives for/supports - opposition - ie children's rights -
class, equality, being voice for marginalised and for struggle of poor
Message of social obedience
Stanza 6 Narrative continues/development and dream ends
Return to reality which is disappointing - nothing has changed for him
'got with our bags and our brushes'
'cold' and 'dark'
Reality = long cold days of work
Something has changed - Tom's attitude - juxtaposes the conditions
Religion and faith have brought comfort to him which helps him to suffer the reality - coping mechanism -
helps him to tolerate this difficult life
However, what we ought to see is that this child has been deceived by religion and angel - he isn't happy
and warm - just a belief that quietens and suppresses him
Faith has deceived him about his suffering
Generally thought that this last line is ironic from Blake's perspective
Inviting readers to question justice of this
Duty = suggests social expectations which are to get on with work and remain silent - accept without
complaint - conform to expectations
Acceptance and conformity
Idea that if you conform and accept you don't need to worry because you will go to heaven
Children need to challenge and protest - what they do is dangerous
Blake's view - religion here has somehow absolved the government and society - church, people in general -
from their responsibility to protect these children/child labourer
Social change is needed
Can't just accept - not enough to give a reward of a heavenly paradise - need to get rid of instead hell on
earth - need to make heaven on Earth
London (Experience)
Stanza 1 Personal pronoun ‘I’ – witness in the environment to the sights and sounds on the streets
Verb ‘wander’ – connotations = freedom from restriction but also to be lost. In this poem, it is to do more with the idea of being lost in this
environment/being misplaced perhaps without purpose. He sees that everything is controlled, restrained, and mapped out around him.
Lexis ‘chartered’ could be referring to mapped out/order that has been imposed on this environment – it is not a free open space. There are
laws surrounding the streets – some people have rights and privileges to the land. Alt. interpretation: charter is also a legal documenting giving
rights/privileges = a land only for a few of society/the wealthy – not open and freely belonging to all
Repetition of ‘charter’d’ – imposing human restrictions and control over a natural force compared to a man-made street. Lexis of order
repeated but shift to natural body of water which is restricted. Juxtaposition between movement of river, it natural inclination to flow and the
sense of it being restrained.
Different meaning of ‘mark; when taken as a verb/noun: verb = noticing people/making note of people, noun = stain of weakness, suggests its
hard to get rid of, sets on people.
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