Class VIII: The Chimney Sweeper

The Chimney Sweeper

Concept Map:

About the Poet:

William Blake is a well-known English poet, printer and painter. He belonged to the eighteenth century. Some of his most loved poems are found in his collections ‘Songs of Innocence’ and ‘Songs of Experiences’. Though he was a poet of eighteenth century, his poems are still are important in today’s world.

About Contemporary England:

‘The Chimney Sweeper’ is set against the dark background of child labour that was prominent in England in the late 18^th and 19^th century. At the age of four and five, boys were sold to clean chimneys, due to their small size. These children were oppressed and had a little experience that was socially accepted at the time.

Textbook Exercise:

1)      How do we know that chimney sweeper was very young when he was ‘sold’? What is meant by ‘sold’ here?

Ans: There is an instance in the poem where the chimney sweeper cries, “weep, weep, weep”. Actually he wants to say, “Sweep, sweep, sweep” but as he is so small he cannot speak properly. From this we can guess that he was very young when he was ‘sold’. Here, the word ‘sold’ means the chimney sweeper was forced to.

2)      Why was Tom Dacre crying?

Ans: Tom Dacre was crying because his curled white hair, which he used to like a lot, was shaved, and he was made bald.

3)      Which part of Tom’s dream was sad and tragic, or even scary?

Ans: In Tom’s dreams Tom saw that thousands of chimney sweepers (including his friends) were locked up in the black coffins. This part of Tom’s dream was sad and tragic or even scary.

4)      Who came to free them?

Ans: An angel came to free them from the black coffins.

5)      How does Tom enjoy his freedom in his dream?

Ans: When freed by the angel, Tom leaps on the green plains, sports in the wind. He laughs; he plays, runs and swims in the river.

6)      What does the angel tell Tom?

Ans: Angel told Tom that if Tom would be a good boy, he would have God for his father and would never ask for joy.

7)      How had Tom’s view of life change the next morning?

Ans: In the dream, Tom sees the angel telling him that if Tom would be a good boy, he would have God for his father and would never ask for joy. As Tom knows that there is nothing that can change his destiny, he has to accept his fate as it is, he decided to work without hesitation. Thus, the next morning, Tom’s view of life changes.

8)      How do we come to know that the children in this poem do not like the work they do?

Ans: There are many instances which show that the children in this poem do not like the working as chimney sweeper. These instances are as follows:

-        The children cry as they are forced to shave their head bald

-        The children dreams a nightmare of them being trapped in the coffin

-        The children enjoy playing in the plains and water as they hardly get time to do so