| In William Blake's Chimney Sweeper of the Song of | | | | stanza include dark and work. The dark blacks out |
| Innocence, there is an immense contrast between | | | | the wonderfully colorful imagery and the drudgery |
| the death, weeping, exploitation, and oppression that | | | | work end the playing, fun and happiness. The k's |
| Tom Dacre endures and the childlike innocence that | | | | provide a hard sound which creates emphasis on |
| enables his to be naive about his grave situation and | | | | Tom's conditions that the author doesn't want us to |
| the widespread injustice in society. Tom Dacre's | | | | forget. The author is subtly appealing for the justice |
| imagination takes him on a lovely journey with his | | | | of Tom and therefore he needed to create the |
| ultimate hope of being nurtured and cared for by His | | | | same bleak feeling in the choice of words as the |
| Father in Heaven. William Blake creates sympathy and | | | | children in the "coffins of black" are feeling |
| sharp awareness for Tom Dacre, who represents | | | | subconsciously. If the last stanza has the same |
| other neglected children in poverty, by introducing his | | | | rhyme scene of as the dream the readers would |
| personal tragedy at the beginning of the poem. We | | | | have been tempted to believe the promise of a true |
| weep with Tom as his innocence is being forcibly | | | | positive ending for Tom to maintain his blind and |
| stolen from him and his sacrificial life to society is | | | | simple obedience. |
| emphasized and William Blake shares narrative of his | | | | The last two lines use the words warm and harm |
| hair like a lamb's fur is shaved off. The middle of the | | | | that appears to be rhyme by a glance at the spelling |
| poem brings heartfelt smiles as we witness the | | | | but the author tricks the readers and instead the |
| pristine plain being enjoyed by children filled with | | | | words sound different. This prevents the readers |
| laughter and happiness. However this creates more | | | | from just flowing aimlessly and carelessly through the |
| compassion and heartbreak from the reader, as | | | | poem as if it were a cute nursery rhyme and |
| Tom's intense longing to be free from suffering is | | | | interrupting us to bring even more attention to the |
| move evident. | | | | message. This was also done in the second stanza |
| At the end of the poem, Tom is given a message to | | | | with head and said; bare and hair with spelling that |
| stay a good boy, which produces conflict in emotion | | | | looks differently but rhymes so that we could pay |
| for the reader. The reader wants to be as innocent | | | | close attention, but the lack of rhyme in the last |
| and hopeful and believe the same message but as | | | | stanza adds more intensity. The lack of rhyme |
| corruption grows and the unfairness of such a | | | | reflects the common theme in life that appearances |
| complex life continues, the promise seems empty, | | | | often don't portray reality. Although the message of |
| impossible to fulfill and almost hurtful. We cringe as | | | | the angel brings comfort, is the messenger truly an |
| we reflect on the historic means that the powerful | | | | angel and is Tom truly understanding how to conquer |
| would use to take advantage of the defenseless, | | | | the trials in life? There is only a matter of time |
| those that were economically disadvantaged and | | | | before the harm does come and continues to come |
| lacked high social status. The psychological, political | | | | which is a natural part of life, especially in societies |
| and religious philosophies and commands that morally | | | | that crush the poor and neglect the orphan child, and |
| bankrupt leaders used to encourage imposing their | | | | when the times comes will Tom be able to stay |
| own self suppression and accepting the dictatorship | | | | warm in long term? The situation is appearing |
| of those in power. | | | | temporarily good because of the promise and Tom's |
| However the last stanza quiets the question of the | | | | naive hope, in reality the consequences are sober and |
| validity of the message and holds the "bright key" to | | | | full of grief. |
| unlock the true, deep message of the poem. While | | | | The lack of rhyme purposefully and effectively |
| the rest of Chimney Sweeper is in a simple melodic | | | | creates a huge disconnect from the rest of Chimney |
| AA, BB rhyme scheme, William Blake allows the last | | | | Sweeper. In a sense this last stanza is not just a |
| stanza to have no perfectly rhymed end words or | | | | conclusion but a separate stanza of its own. Because |
| scheme. The author is proclaiming a lesson that | | | | of the last stanza the readers are confirmed in their |
| cannot be ignored using this technique appeal to the | | | | uncomfortable feelings about the promise and Tom's |
| audience. The sudden lack of rhyme is an abrupt | | | | desperate desire for freedom and life. The optimistic |
| return to the harsh realities away from the innocent | | | | outlook, although comforting and real to Tom, is |
| and youthful fantasy of Tom that is almost like | | | | revealed to be unrealistic on earth which Tom may |
| reality to him waiting to be fulfilled. Unlike the exciting | | | | not wholeheartedly understand. However William |
| and wistful tone of the beautiful dream with happy | | | | Blake does comprehend the grim conditions and is |
| rhyming ends words such as key and free; run and | | | | appealing for social change. |
| sun; boy and joy the unrhymed words in the last | | | | |