The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Innocence) Themes

The first version of "The Chimney Sweeper" appeared in Blake's collection Songs of Innocence (1789). Need we say more? Yes, as it turns out. That's because this particular song is all about the abs...

Chimney-sweeping was a dirty business, and those kids suffered a ton. Abuse, cancer, early death—you name it, they faced it. So it makes sense that a poem called "The Chimney Sweeper" would face...

Chimney-sweeping was a dangerous job, and there was little joy and a lot of suffering for the children involved. Blake talks about how Tom's head was shaved (which made him cry). All the sweepers i...

An angel appears in Tom's dream in the form of a savior who releases the chimney sweepers from their coffins, and tells Tom that if he's a good boy God will love him. It seems like the angel is tel...