The poem "Chimney Sweeper" in Experience Songs and Innocence Songs illustrates Blake's single view presented in two different ways. To create a more accurate picture, the two poems must complement each other. The two poems are based on the narrators' activities of cleaning of chimneys and are representations of political issues in England. Even though the poems approach the entire the problem from different perspectives; their message seems to agree.
Generally, both poems protest the treatment of chimney workers, living and working condition. In spite of the similarities, there are also some outstanding differences. In the Song of Innocence, the boy appears naïve. He does not understand the social injustices he is undergoing hence; he views the entire situation with a lot of innocence. In the Song of Experience, the case is a little bit different. The boy understands the injustices and talks about them (Blake 16). He clearly knows the circumstances which led him to his current position.
In the Song of Innocence, the narrator lives a terrible life under conditions that can lead to death at any time. His mother is deceased. He is more of a slave because his father sold him away. In spite of the unfortunate situation that he finds himself in, he is surprisingly still very optimistic. The narrator can still afford to encourage and comfort his ally Tom Dacre (Blake 13). The poem offers much optimism. In the second poem, the boy is abandoned by his parents. It is hypocritical that they are going to worship and at the same time have neglected their parental obligations. The poem is very pessimistic and dark. This is evident in the narrator's judgmental nature and the misery he languishes in.
Works Cited
Blake, William. The complete poetry and prose of William Blake.Univ of California Press, 2008.
