In the late 1700’s, numerous young children were forced to clean the inside of chimneys, which was called the chimney sweeps which would then cause young children to have an early death. William Blake wrote two poems about this issue; both called The Chimney Sweeper in response to the condition of children sweeping chimneys. Blake’s first poem was published in 1789 while the second poem was published in 1794. However, there are many similarities and differences between these two poems as well. William Blake uses several poetic techniques, such as having similar meanings for the poems, using repetition, anaphora, alliteration, a metaphor, a simile, and onomatopoeia to help the reader see the similarities and the differences between these two …show more content…
In the first poem, the author uses alliteration in a dream, stating how the adolescents are “leaping” and “laughing.” This alliteration could indicate that the children are finally pleased with their life. Blake also uses the same onomatopoeia, “weep” in both of these poems to help indicate that the children are looking for work and are upset about sweeping chimneys. Although the author uses onomatopoeias in both poems he does not use any alliteration in the second poem like he did in the primary one. He also uses repetition in both poems by repeating the word “and” multiple times. However, the author repeats “and” more often in the first poem than he does in the second poem. Furthermore, the author uses anaphora in the second poem by repeating “Because I was happy…” in lines 5 and 9 to suggest that just because the author states he is pleased does not mean that he is actually …show more content…
In the first poem, the boy’s mother dies and his father sold him to do work in the chimneys while in the second poem the parents go to church to pray while their child sweeps chimneys. The primary poem has more hope and joy than the second one since the boy has a dream about heaven, God, and angels to where the boy hopes for a better life. However, the secondary poem contains more misery than the first one since the boy’s parents think that they are doing something good for their son and think their son is content but he is actually, truly miserable and has a great deal of sadness. However, in both poems the children know they are going to die since the first poem states in line 12 “…Were all of them lock’d up in coffins of black…” and in the second poem in line 7 stating “…They clothed me in the clothes of death…” indicating they knew that they were going to die young. The author also uses a different rhyming in both poems. In the first poem, the rhyming pattern is “AABB” while the second poem’s rhyming pattern is “ABAB.” Conversely, the author shows in the last stanza of the first poem that Tom no longer dreads his job while the last stanza in the second poem states how the upper class praises “God & his Priest & King,” when that is only ruining the lives of children and making them live in misery. Therefore,
The way the points of views in each different poem creates a different theme for each poems using different points diction to convey meaning for each of the two poems. In the poem “Birthday” a humorous tone shows a newborn baby in a first person point of view. As opposed to the poem “The Secret Life of Books” which uses a third person point of view for a more serious tone. The two poems would change dramatically whiteout the different points of views because without the humor of the newborn baby being the narrator the poem might take a different spin on the meaning to create a more serious tone. As opposed to “The Secret Life of Books” where the poem is a big personification which if it was not in a third person point of view it might have a a humorous tome in the background. The two poems have many things that help contrast them with each other another one of these being the theme chosen to give each poem a separate identity, while “Birthday” has some background information in some of the diction it uses to World War II “The Secret Life of Books” has no need for the knowledge of background information just the curiosity of the brain
The fact that they feel they can sit about the knee of their mother, in this stereotypical image of a happy family doesn’t suggest that the children in this poem are oppressed... ... middle of paper ... ... y has a negative view of the childish desire for play which clearly has an effect on the children. The fact that they the are whispering shows that they are afraid of the nurse, and that they cannot express their true thoughts and desires freely, which is why they whisper, and therefore shows that Blake feels that children are oppressed. I feel that the two poems from innocence which are ‘The Echoing Green,’ and ‘The Nurses Song,’ display Blake’s ideological view of country life which I referred to in my introduction, and show his desire for childhood to be enjoyed.
... overall themes, and the use of flashbacks. Both of the boys in these two poems reminisce on a past experience that they remember with their fathers. With both poems possessing strong sentimental tones, readers are shown how much of an impact a father can have on a child’s life. Clearly the two main characters experience very different past relationships with their fathers, but in the end they both come to realize the importance of having a father figure in their lives and how their experiences have impacted their futures.
The three sources I have selected are all based on females. They are all of change and transformation. Two of my selections, "The Friday Everything Changed" by Anne Hart, and "Women and World War II " By Dr. Sharon, are about women’s rites of passage. The third choice, "The sun is Burning Gases (Loss of a Good Friend)" by Cathleen McFarland is about a girl growing up.
These two poems, For My Daughter, and Her Kind are greatly different but in a few ways the same. The few ways they are the same are very important and have great meaning behind it. The female in both of their poems, the use of nature, the sadness in the narrators voice and the darkness of the two poems both have in
A final difference that can be seen between these two poems is the style of the poems themselves.
(Biography.com). Perhaps his own frustration at being unappreciated telegraphed into his poetry as many of them are shrouded in morose feeling. ‘The chimney sweeper’ in songs of experience nicely shows Blake’s concept of innocence and experience. Although the poem is included in the book ‘Songs of experience’ it is quite an innocent poem, with decidedly darker undertones. It is quite pessimistic about the afterlife and again has a religious undertone. Blake appears to have little faith in God, ‘heaven of our misery’ (Songs of Innocence and Experience, object 37). It is interesting to note that ‘The chimney sweeper’ mentioned previously is not the only poem of that title written by Blake. He wrote another by the same name in ‘Songs of Innocence’. Compared to the poem in ‘songs of experience’, this one is much more innocent but also far more upsetting. It showcases Blake’s views on the similarities between innocence and naivety as it is based around a child who readily believes that in return for their work as chimney sweeps they will be granted access to heaven when they inevitably die from the harsh and inhumane conditions. While it is not an overly heavy poem at first glance it is certainly weighed down by the presence of death as one reads closer. Human life appears indispensable to those meant to be the experienced ones whom the children can look
All the poems you have read are preoccupied with violence and/or death. Compare the ways in which the poets explore this preoccupation. What motivations or emotions do the poets suggest lie behind the preoccupation?
Whenever people read poetry it takes into another planet, wonder how? Most authors of poetry have managed to take people into places they never seen before. Their use of imagery can describe both a majestic place or a nightmare on earth, and anything in between. For example, the use of metaphors can connect objects, or places to another, and as a result a metaphor can uncover new and fascinating advantages of the original thing. Another example is alliteration that provides importance, and sometimes supports in memory because it is catchy and perhaps humorous. In the magical world of poetry, all the rules of formal writing go out the window and create a piece of art, something that is entirely unique. Poetry is also very unique because it rarely uses characters; instead it uses literary devices that describe everything in depth. Overall, poetry uses many ways and methods to intrigue its readers to what more and more poetry. With hundreds of spectacular poets we have today it is made possible.
In his preface of the Kokinshū poet Ki no Tsurayaki wrote that poetry conveyed the “true heart” of people. And because poetry declares the true heart of people, poetry in the minds of the poets of the past believed that it also moved the hearts of the gods. It can be seen that in the ancient past that poetry had a great importance to the people of the time or at least to the poets of the past. In this paper I will describe two of some of the most important works in Japanese poetry the anthologies of the Man’yōshū and the Kokinshū. Both equally important as said by some scholars of Japanese literature, and both works contributing greatly to the culture of those who live in the land of the rising sun.
Though this poem mainly describes the suffering of these children, William Blake wrote another poem also titled “The Chimney Sweeper” where he described how as these chimney-sweepers grew older, they began to realize how they were taken advantage of and how the promises of the Church were all just a big hoax. From these two poems, it can be inferred that Blake intentionally pointed out and revealed the malfeasance of the Church and society and how they exploited younger children due to their gullibility and innocence solely for the economy without having any regard for the children’s lives.
In both chimney sweepers we can see how William Blake explains the virtues and limitations of innocence and experience. The fate of Chimney Sweepers was a cruel one. Little boys as young as six were often sold by families who could not afford to feed them and apprenticed to the trade. They were sent to terrified up the dangerous and dark chimney and, they dared refuse, they were frequently terrorized by their new masters, who I think would threatened them to the life of poverty and starvation from whence they had come.
First of all, both of the written works commence with a mournful tone that is very comprehensive to the reader at hand. The “Songs of Experience” and “Songs of Innocence” both steadily persist with a grim tone throughout their stanzas by using specific words such as “crying,” “black,” and “death;” all of which bring a negative connotation into the reader's mind. However, “Songs of Innocence” has a drastic tone shift midway through the poem. Conversely, the other poem doesn't really every swap tones. William Blake also uses diction in both of the poems to assist in the creation of the grim tone at hand. Moreover, a clear example of diction used to create a cheerless mood can be seen in line eight of “Songs of Experience” where it states, “(the parents) ...taught me to sing the notes of woe,” in which clearly conjures up a gloomy tone into the tale of young chimney sweeps.
Robert Frost's view of childhood is much different than that of William Blake, as expressed in their respective poems, "Birches" and "The Chimney Sweeper". Living in the late seventeenth century, Blake saw some hard times; and as such, paints a very non-romantic picture of childhood. Frost, however, sees things differently. The result is two glaringly different poems that goes to prove how very different people are.
In poems, one way or other way, they both are encouraging youth to be strong and to be courageous. They both are giving advice to youth but in different ways. Both the speakers have very strong tone of voice and both are very encouraging to the youth.