21 pages 42 minutes read

William Blake

London

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1794

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Further Reading & Resources

Related Poems

The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake (1789)

“The Chimney Sweeper” appeared in two parts: The first part appeared in 1789 in Songs of Innocence, and the second part appeared in 1784 in Songs of Experience. The poem incorporates themes of child labor, a harsh English reality in the 18th and 19th centuries. During this time, boys of four and five years old were typically sold into the trade because of their small size, which allowed them to easily clean chimneys. Employers oppressed the children and kept them poorly clothed and fed. Most of the children died from becoming stuck in the chimneys or from lung damage. Blake’s poem criticizes the hypocrisy of the Church; while Church teachings contradict how society treats these children, the Church also does little to change the situation.

Also known as “Sonnet LXX,” Charlotte Smith’s poem is an example of an early Romantic poem. The poem relies on imagery of the sea and of “madness” to express deep melancholy. (In the Western literary and philosophical tradition, the concept of “madness” has long been associated with artistic creativity and even genius—virtues that the Romantic poets revered.

Related Titles

By William Blake

Study Guide

logo

A Poison Tree

William Blake

A Poison Tree

William Blake

Study Guide

logo

Auguries of Innocence

William Blake

Auguries of Innocence

William Blake

Plot Summary

logo

Songs of Innocence and of Experience

William Blake

Songs of Innocence and of Experience

William Blake

Study Guide

logo

The Book of Thel

William Blake

The Book of Thel

William Blake

Study Guide

logo

The Chimney Sweeper

William Blake

The Chimney Sweeper

William Blake

Study Guide

logo

The Garden of Love

William Blake

The Garden of Love

William Blake

Study Guide

logo

The Little Boy Found

William Blake

The Little Boy Found

William Blake

Study Guide

logo

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

William Blake

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

William Blake

Study Guide

logo

The Sick Rose

William Blake

The Sick Rose

William Blake

Study Guide

logo

The Tyger

William Blake

The Tyger

William Blake