Blake's Chimney Sweeper
eIOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science (JHSS) ISSN: 2279-0837, ISBN: 2279-0845. Volume 2, Issue 4 (Sep-Oct. 2012), PP 27-30 www.iosrjournals.org
Discourse of Children in William Blake’s “Chimney Sweeper
Nujhat Afrin
Abstract: This study of the poems, present a contradiction between the states of innocence and experience, two phases through which all people must pass. Here we see the naturalistic world of childhood against the world of corruption. The poem “The Chimney Sweeper” is set against the dark background of child labor that was well known in England in the late 18th and 19th century. The poems (Chimney Sweeper in innocence and Experience) are meant to convey two different views of human life, the view of innocence and the view of experience. In the state of innocence, we look at things freshly; we look at natural objects and wonder at them, finding in them a child’s simple apprehension of beauty. Blake writes these poems to let the reader knows that many kid’s lives are being exploited in the cities of England. He expresses his disgust about the plight of the majority of the chimney sweepers and how the society and church turn a blind eye of their sufferings. In the society they live in, innocent children are in anguish because of the harsh treatment of the adult population. While it endorses hope, the reader must acknowledge that something needs to be done to improve the lives of these children.
i. History of poetry for children: Between the years 1715 and 1804, no genuine poems for infant minds were
written. In 1715 Isaac Watts had written “Divine and Moral songs in Easy Language” which is a book of short poems intended for children. But in the following years there was no prolific writing for children. After Watts there were Ann and Jane Taylor, but they were chiefly the creators of the moral tale in verse. However there are three writers who stand out as separate figures in the period 1715-1804. They made verses about children and for
Discourse of Children in William Blake’s “Chimney Sweeper
Nujhat Afrin
Abstract: This study of the poems, present a contradiction between the states of innocence and experience, two phases through which all people must pass. Here we see the naturalistic world of childhood against the world of corruption. The poem “The Chimney Sweeper” is set against the dark background of child labor that was well known in England in the late 18th and 19th century. The poems (Chimney Sweeper in innocence and Experience) are meant to convey two different views of human life, the view of innocence and the view of experience. In the state of innocence, we look at things freshly; we look at natural objects and wonder at them, finding in them a child’s simple apprehension of beauty. Blake writes these poems to let the reader knows that many kid’s lives are being exploited in the cities of England. He expresses his disgust about the plight of the majority of the chimney sweepers and how the society and church turn a blind eye of their sufferings. In the society they live in, innocent children are in anguish because of the harsh treatment of the adult population. While it endorses hope, the reader must acknowledge that something needs to be done to improve the lives of these children.
i. History of poetry for children: Between the years 1715 and 1804, no genuine poems for infant minds were
written. In 1715 Isaac Watts had written “Divine and Moral songs in Easy Language” which is a book of short poems intended for children. But in the following years there was no prolific writing for children. After Watts there were Ann and Jane Taylor, but they were chiefly the creators of the moral tale in verse. However there are three writers who stand out as separate figures in the period 1715-1804. They made verses about children and for
References: [1] [2] [3] [4] Speak Silence: Rhetoric and Culture in Blake 's Poetical Sketches. Ed. Mark L. Greenberg. (Wayne State Univ Press, 1996). William Blake: Poet and Painter. Jean H. Hagstrum. (University of Chicago Press, 1964). William Blake: His Life and Work. Jack Lindsay. (Constable, 1978) The Stranger from Paradise: A Biography of William Blake. G. E. Bentley, Jr. (Yale Univ Press, 2003). www.iosrjournals.org 30 | Page