The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake : Summary

 

When my mother died I was very young,

And my father sold me while yet my tongue

Could scarcely cry " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!"

So your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep.

There's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head

That curled like a lamb's back, was shaved, so I said,

"Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when your head's bare,

You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair."

And so he was quiet, & that very night,

As Tom was a-sleeping he had such a sight!

That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned, & Jack,

Were all of them locked up in coffins of black;

And by came an Angel who had a bright key,

And he opened the coffins & set them all free;

Then down a green plain, leaping, laughing they run,

And wash in a river and shine in the Sun.

Then naked & white, all their bags left behind,

They rise upon clouds, and sport in the wind.

And the Angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy,

He'd have God for his father & never want joy.

And so Tom awoke; and we rose in the dark

And got with our bags & our brushes to work.

Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warm;

So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm.

 

 

 “The Chimney Sweeper” is a poem about the trauma and sufferings faced by an innocent helpless child. The poem creates a dark and unpleasant ambiance in the inception, later the child gains sufficient courage and hope to strike against his fate. 

The speaker is an innocent little boy who describes an unfortunate incident happened in his life. He lost his mother and his unkind father sold him to work in an elite family. He was totally vulnerable and helpless, unable to make any single moan of protest. He swept their chimneys and slept in a dirty place. Likewise he fated to face such kinds of inhuman treatments even in this early age.

One day a new boy arrived as his companion named Tom Dacre. He cried when his curly lamb like hair was shaved off. The speaker consoled him by saying no need to worry and now Tom’s tender curly white hair is safe as it would not get polluted from the dirty dust of chimney.

In that night Tom was calm and quiet and as he fell asleep he had a pleasant dream. The thousand sweepers named Dick, Joe, Ned and Jack were locked in a black coffin. An angel came and opened it with a bright key. Set them free and kept them safe. All enjoy their happy moments in nature by leaping, laughing, running and swimming in the river.

They in fact enjoy the flavour of freedom and carefree life. Having left behind all their belongingness they rise up to heaven. The angel told Tom that if he is a good boy God will take care of him instead of father and make him always happy.

Next day Tom wakes up and gets ready for work keeping bags and brushes with him though the morning was vehemently cold. He kept himself happy and warm. He keeps one thought strongly in his mind that if we work hard nothing bad will happen.