"The Chimney Sweeper"

Thesis: William Blake relies on a rhythmical structure and an allegorical anecdote to add to the irony in “The Chimney Sweeper,” hoping to elicit an indignant response from the reader at the unjust working conditions of the young chimney sweepers.

The positive, almost playful structure of the poem starkly contrasts the dismal and submissive lifestyle being described, creating an unnatural feeling for the reader.

• The poem begins with the boy describing his past: “When my mother died I was very young, / And my father sold me while yet my tongue / Could scarcely cry” (lines 1-3). The entire poem is written in rhyming couplets, and the format is similar to a folk ballad. This positive rhythmical structure seems unnatural given the depressing circumstances of the boy’s life.

• The boy explains the result of being sold to the chimney sweepers, saying, “So your chimneys I sweep, and in soot I sleep” (line 4). The alliteration of the soothing “s” sound contrasts with the lifestyle the boy is describing. The reader feels uncomfortable because the tone is so matter-of-fact; based on the imagery in the poem, the diction should be harsh and depressing. To make it even more uncomfortable, the boy addresses the reader by referring to “your chimneys.” The author makes the reader feel responsible and accountable for the conditions the boy is living in.

Blake uses an allegory to represent the discrepancy between the carefree enjoyment of life that a young boy should experience and the preoccupation with death that Tom deals with.

• The other boys in Tom’s dream “Were all of them locked up in coffins of black” (line 12). The black coffins are clearly associated with death. Perhaps being a chimney sweeper is like a living death for these boys, or perhaps Tom actually knows people who have died doing this job. Either way, the boys are trapped doing this work and have no freedom. It is an awful way of life.

• In the dream, “the Angel told Tom, if he’d be a good boy, / He’d have God for his father, and never want joy” (lines 19-20). The dream shows that Tom hopes for the possibility of a better life. However, it seems as though Tom must wait until death to experience love and joy. A young boy should not have to feel that this is the case.

The irony in the poem ensures that the reader recognizes and responds to the contrast between the safe and comfortable atmosphere that a young boy should be raised in and the frightening conditions that the chimney sweepers experience.  

• After his friend’s hair is shaved off, the speaker remembers consoling him, “Hush Tom! never mind it, for, when your head’s bare, / You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair” (lines 7-8). The speaker’s logic is ironic because clearly Tom’s hair cannot be spoiled if he has no hair left. The reader notices the irony, forcing him to actually think about what has happened to Tom.  
• Based on his dream, Tom believes that “if all do their duty they need not fear harm” (line 24). This ending line highlights the irony present throughout the poem. From all of the descriptions so far, it is clear that the boys are being harmed. However, although Tom recognizes that his life is not good, he does not completely understand that this is unjust. It is up to the reader to generate these feelings of anger about the awful conditions these boys are subjected to.