(c) Stacey Loyd 2017

Title:
Reading
y
o & Analyzing
d a Poem
e t
s POET:
Before Reading the Poem...

T
Write the title below and then annotate it with any thoughts you have about what the Analyze the Title
Title words of the title tell us.
Child Labor
Suffering and Hardship
You may want to consider:
- Connotations of key words
- Notable punctuation
Innocence vs. Experience - Is there any indication of tone?
- Do we learn anything about
the speaker?

After Reading the Poem...

P Any WORDS you don’t understand?

Write them below & then find & write their definitions.
THE SPEAKER of the poem?
What is the poem about?
In 3 points, identify what happens in the poem:
What is THE SETTING?
He recounts his experiences of being sold into
What do we know about

Paraphrasewoe-begone - looking or feeling Blake aims to convince

readers of the social
the setting of "The Chimney chimney sweeping by his father after his mother's
death. This sets the stage for the reader to understand
very unhappy, often in a way that Sweeper" is the gritty,
injustice and cruelty of the the grim circumstances that lead children into this
others find amusing. industrial cityscape of late
practice of using young labor.
coffin - a long, narrow box in which 18th-century London, with 2.The poem reveals the emotional toll of this work,
children as chimney
a dead person is buried or its dark, soot-filled with the sweeper feeling abandoned and betrayed by
sweepers. He portrays the
cremated. chimneys, crowded streets, his parents and society. He is left to endure harsh
exploitation of these conditions and loneliness, highlighting the emotional
sackcloth - a coarse, rough fabric and the impoverished living
innocent children for and physical toll of child labor.
woven from flax or hemp and used conditions of the young
economic gain as a morally 3.Despite the bleakness of his situation, the chimney
to make sacks or clothes worn in sweepers.
reprehensible act. sweeper finds solace in his faith. He believes that if he
mourning bears the suffering on Earth, he will be rewarded in
Paraphrase the poem in a sentence: heaven.

the story of a young chimney sweeper who finds comfort in his faith despite the hardships of his life as an exploited child laborer.

C
List KEY WORDS Describe the connotations of these words:
Innocence - The concept of innocence is a central theme in the
Metaphor:
Focus on Word Choice
Connotations Innocence "And my father sold me while yet my tongue / Could scarcely cry 'weep! 'weep!
Any FIGURATIVE

poem. The keyword "innocence" tells us that the poem explores the 'weep! 'weep!" - Here, the father selling the child into chimney sweeping is
TECHNIQUES?

loss of innocence, particularly of the young children forced into metaphorically described as selling him while he was still too young to even
LANGUAGE

labor. It signifies the contrast between the purity of childhood and

Exploration the harsh realities of their lives.
Exploitation - This keyword indicates that the poem likely deals with
Suffering the theme of exploitation. The chimney sweepers, being young and
vulnerable, are exploited for their labor. It tells us that the poem is a
social critique of how society mistreats its most vulnerable
members.
Suffering - The keyword "suffering" suggests that the poem delves
into the pain and hardship experienced by the chimney sweepers. It
tells us that the poem aims to evoke empathy and shed light on the
Quote them here (with line numbers)
struggles of these children.
pronounce "weep." It conveys the child's innocence and vulnerability.
Symbolism:
Chimney as Symbol: The chimney itself serves as a symbol throughout the
poem. It represents the harsh and oppressive conditions the children work in, as
well as the loss of innocence and the confinement they experience
Imagery:
"Black coffins of black" - This repetition of "black" emphasizes the darkness and
hopelessness of the children's situation. It creates a vivid image of the soot-
covered chimneys as coffins, emphasizing the danger and morbidity of their
work.

A Describe the TONE of the poem in 3 words:

What’s the Attitude of the speaker?
Attitude Sober Critical Empathetic
How does this tone relate to the content of the poem?

"The Chimney Sweeper" from William Blake's "Songs of

Quotes which evidence this attitude / tone: Experience" reflects the author's deep empathy for the
Somber: The poem's somber tone is evident in its depiction of the bleak and oppressive conditions faced by the chimney
sweepers. It conveys a sense of sadness and seriousness about the children's suffering, their exploitation, and the loss of suffering of the poor and oppressed, as well as his criticism
their innocence.
Critical: The tone of criticism is woven throughout the poem, highlighting the societal injustices and the exploitation of
of the social and religious institutions of his time. Blake was
vulnerable children. Blake critiques the system that allows such exploitation to occur, condemning the moral decay of a
society that overlooks the suffering of its most innocent members.
a poet and artist who was deeply concerned with social
Empathetic: Despite the critical and somber tone, there is also a strong sense of empathy in the poem. Blake empathizes injustice and the plight of the marginalized in society.
with the chimney sweepers, portraying them as victims of a cruel and indifferent world

S
The stanza structure of Thinking about Changes
Any Shifts in the Poem?

CHANGES IN TIME? TONE? CONTENT?

Shifts the poem: In William Blake's poem "The Chimney Sweeper" from "Songs of Elements of punctuation which facilitate these
Experience," there are several changes in tone that reflect the
different emotions and themes throughout the poem
:changes:
Colons are used to introduce explanations or elaborations, which can contribute to
shifts in tone or provide context.
"The Chimney Sweeper" by William In the second stanza: "And by came an Angel who had a bright key, / And he
Blake from "Songs of Experience" changes in tone throughout the poem reflect the complex open'd the coffins & set them all free:" - The colon introduces the dream sequence,
signaling a shift to a more hopeful and fantastical tone as the Angel appears to
follows a consistent stanza structure emotions and themes Blake explores: from the initial sorrow and promise liberation.
throughout the poem. Each stanza despair of the sweepers' situation, to the anger and criticism of Exclamation Marks:
the systems that exploit them, to fleeting moments of hope and Exclamation marks are used to convey strong emotions such as surprise,
consists of four lines, following an AABB excitement, or emphasis.
dreams, and finally to a resigned bitterness at their unavoidable In the third stanza: "Then naked & white, all their bags left behind, / They rise upon
rhyme scheme. circumstances clouds and sport in the wind!" - The exclamation mark adds emphasis to the joy
and freedom of the sweepers in the dream.

T
List the topics/concepts of the poem: So, what’s the theme?
Theme
Write HASHTAGS

#exploiting

#
for this poem:

The concept of William Blake's poem "The Chimney Sweeper" from "Songs of
Experience" revolves around the theme of innocence corrupted by the harsh realities of
life, particularly the exploitation and suffering of children.
animals and
Loss of Innocence: The central concept of the poem is the loss of innocence experienced by the young chimney sweepers. These
children, who should be carefree and enjoying their childhood, are instead thrust into a life of labor and hardship. Blake portrays this loss
dressing
of innocence as a tragic consequence of societal neglect and exploitation.
Exploitation and Suffering: The poem exposes the exploitation and suffering endured by the chimney sweepers. They are sold into labor
by their own families, subjected to dangerous work conditions, and deprived of a proper childhood. Blake highlights the injustice of a
#child abuse
society that allows such exploitation to occur, especially among its most vulnerable members.

WRITE A THEME STATEMENT BELOW (what message the poet is conveying about the topic)

The theme of William Blake's poem "The Chimney Sweeper" from "Songs of Experience" revolves around the loss of innocence, exploitation of the vulnerable, and the harsh realities
faced by marginalized individuals in society.