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Interpreting Meter and Rhyme in William Blake's the Chimney Sweeper
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In William Blake's Chimney Sweeper of the Song of Innocence, there is an immense contrast between the death, weeping, exploitation, and oppression that Tom Dacre endures and the childlike innocence that enables his to be naive about his grave situation and the widespread injustice in society. Tom Dacre's imagination takes him on a lovely journey with his ultimate hope of being nurtured and cared for by His Father in Heaven. William Blake creates sympathy and sharp awareness for Tom Dacre, who represents other neglected children in poverty, by introducing his personal tragedy at the beginning of the poem. We weep with Tom as his innocence is being forcibly stolen from him and his sacrificial life to society is emphasized and William Blake shares narrative of his hair like a lamb's fur is shaved off. The middle of the poem brings heartfelt smiles as we witness the pristine plain being enjoyed by children filled with laughter and happiness. However this creates more compassion and heartbreak from the reader, as Tom's intense longing to be free from suffering is move evident.

At the end of the poem, Tom is given a message to stay a good boy, which produces conflict in emotion for the reader. The reader wants to be as innocent and hopeful and believe the same message but as corruption grows and the unfairness of such a complex life continues, the promise seems empty, impossible to fulfill and almost hurtful. We cringe as we reflect on the historic means that the powerful would use to take advantage of the defenseless, those that were economically disadvantaged and lacked high social status. The psychological, political and religious philosophies and commands that morally bankrupt leaders used to encourage imposing their own self suppression and accepting the dictatorship of those in power.

However the last stanza quiets the question of the validity of the message and holds the "bright key" to unlock the true, deep message of the poem. While the rest of Chimney Sweeper is in a simple melodic AA, BB rhyme scheme, William Blake allows the last stanza to have no perfectly rhymed end words or scheme. The author is proclaiming a lesson that cannot be ignored using this technique appeal to the audience. The sudden lack of rhyme is an abrupt return to the harsh realities away from the innocent and youthful fantasy of Tom that is almost like reality to him waiting to be fulfilled. Unlike the exciting and wistful tone of the beautiful dream with happy rhyming ends words such as key and free; run and sun; boy and joy the unrhymed words in the last stanza include dark and work. The dark blacks out the wonderfully colorful imagery and the drudgery work end the playing, fun and happiness. The k's provide a hard sound which creates emphasis on Tom's conditions that the author doesn't want us to forget. The author is subtly appealing for the justice of Tom and therefore he needed to create the same bleak feeling in the choice of words as the children in the "coffins of black" are feeling subconsciously. If the last stanza has the same rhyme scene of as the dream the readers would have been tempted to believe the promise of a true positive ending for Tom to maintain his blind and simple obedience.

The last two lines use the words warm and harm that appears to be rhyme by a glance at the spelling but the author tricks the readers and instead the words sound different. This prevents the readers from just flowing aimlessly and carelessly through the poem as if it were a cute nursery rhyme and interrupting us to bring even more attention to the message. This was also done in the second stanza with head and said; bare and hair with spelling that looks differently but rhymes so that we could pay close attention, but the lack of rhyme in the last stanza adds more intensity. The lack of rhyme reflects the common theme in life that appearances often don't portray reality. Although the message of the angel brings comfort, is the messenger truly an angel and is Tom truly understanding how to conquer the trials in life? There is only a matter of time before the harm does come and continues to come which is a natural part of life, especially in societies that crush the poor and neglect the orphan child, and when the times comes will Tom be able to stay warm in long term? The situation is appearing temporarily good because of the promise and Tom's naive hope, in reality the consequences are sober and full of grief.

The lack of rhyme purposefully and effectively creates a huge disconnect from the rest of Chimney Sweeper. In a sense this last stanza is not just a conclusion but a separate stanza of its own. Because of the last stanza the readers are confirmed in their uncomfortable feelings about the promise and Tom's desperate desire for freedom and life. The optimistic outlook, although comforting and real to Tom, is revealed to be unrealistic on earth which Tom may not wholeheartedly understand. However William Blake does comprehend the grim conditions and is appealing for social change.

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Article Submitted On: October 20, 2009



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