Key Facts
- Writer: William Blake (1757-1827)
- Title of the Author: English poet and painter
- Full Title: The Chimney Sweeper: A little black thing among the snow
- Original Title: The Chimney Sweeper: A little black thing among the snow
- Published Date: 1794, Songs of Experience.
- Tone: Anger, Indignation, and social criticism
- Genre: Poetry
- Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme scheme in the poem is AABB – CCDD – EEFF. “The Chimney Sweeper” consists of three quatrains or four-line stanzas.
- Total Lines: 12
- Time Setting: Late 18th and 19th centuries.
- Place Setting: The poem is set in England.
Symbols
In William Blake’s “The Chimney Sweeper” from “Songs of Experience,” several symbols convey deeper meanings and themes.
Soot: Soot, associated with the chimneys, symbolizes the moral and spiritual pollution from exploiting children. It is not just physical grime but also a metaphor for the corruption of society’s values.
Cry of “weep! weep!”: The repeated cry of “weep! weep!” is a stark and poignant symbol of the children’s suffering.
Religious Imagery: The poem contains religious imagery and themes, such as references to God, the Church, prayer, and the idea of heaven. These symbols highlight the hypocrisy of society.
Themes
Childhood Innocence and Suffering: The poem emphasizes the stark contrast between innocence and suffering. The image of the “little black thing among the snow” serves as a poignant symbol of vulnerability and displacement.
Religious Hypocrisy: Blake’s critique of organized religion is a central theme in many of his works, including this poem. In this context, the Church is seen as complicit in the suffering of these children, as it provides a moral cover for their exploitation.
Loss of Happiness: The poem emphasizes the loss of happiness experienced by the child. The child blames the Church for taking away his happiness. Suggesting that the institution contributes to these children’s emotional and spiritual impoverishment.
Irony: There is a bitter irony in that the Church is supposed to represent compassion, love, and moral guidance. However, it is the suffering of the children.
Read Also: The Tyger Bangla Summary
Selected Quotations
A little black thing among the snow,
Crying “weep! weep!” in notes of woe!
Exp: The speaker said these lines to portray the starting scenery of this poem. It seems that a black shape is crying in the snow, but it was a child.
“Where are thy father and mother? say?”
“They are both gone up to the church to pray.
Exp: The speaker asks the child where is his parents. Then the child replies that his parents have prayed to the Church.
“Because I was happy upon the heath,
And smil’d among the winter’s snow,
They clothed me in the clothes of death,
And taught me to sing the notes of woe.
Exp: Then the child continues to say that he was very happy with his life. He was playing in a green field in the snow. But his parents punished him and snatched away his happiness.
“And because I am happy and dance and sing,
They think they have done me no injury,
And are gone to praise God and his Priest and King,
Who make up a heaven of our misery.”
Exp: The boy says that as he was happy, his parents thought that they had not done anything wrong with him. They went to church to pray to GOD and the King who would ensure them heaven.
Literary Devices
In the poem “The Chimney Sweeper: A little black thing among the snow” by William Blake, the poet uses different literary devices with words to make the poem more interesting.
Alliteration occurs when the same sound at the beginning of words is repeated. In the poem, you can see it in phrases like “happy” and “hearth” in one part and “praise” and “Priest” in another. It makes the poem sound rhythmic and musical.
Assonance is when similar vowel sounds are used in words close to each other. For example, “notes” and “woe” have a similar sound, and so do “snow” and “clothes.” This sound helps create a nice feeling when you read the poem.
Imagery: Imagery means using words to create pictures in your mind. In the poem’s first lines, Blake paints a strong picture when he describes the child as a “little black thing among the snow.”
The Chimney Sweeper Bangla Summary (Songs of Experience)
কবিতার শুরুতেই আমরা দেখতে পাই কবি বর্ণনা করছেন যে তুষার মোড়া প্রকৃতিতে তিনি দূর থেকে লক্ষ্য করলেন কাল কোন কিছু। কাছে গিয়ে দেখলেন যে একজন ছোট বালক ফুপিয়ে ফুপিয়ে কাঁদছে। তখন তিনি বালকটিকে জিজ্ঞেস করলেন যে তোমার মা-বাবা কোথায়। বালকটি উত্তর দিল যে তারা গির্জায় প্রার্থনা করতে গেছে।
বালকটি আবারও বলতে শুরু করলো যে আমি আমার জীবন নিয়ে খুব খুশি ছিলাম এবং শীতের এই তুষারপাতের ভেতরে প্রকৃতির মাঝে সবুজ মাঠে খেলাধুলায় ব্যস্ত ছিলাম। কিন্তু তারা আমার কাছ থেকে আমার এই সুখ এবং খুশি ছিনিয়ে নিয়ে গিয়ে আমাকে শাস্তি দিল এবং তারা আমাকে দুঃখের গান শিখিয়ে গেল।
সে আরো বললো যে আমি যেহেতু খুশিতে গান গাইছিলাম আর নাচছিলাম, তাই তারা ভাবলো যে তারা তো আমার সাথে খারাপ কোন কিছু করেনি। তাই তারা দুজনেই গির্জায় চলে গেল এবং ঈশ্বরের, পাদ্রির এবং রাজার প্রার্থনা করতে থাকলো যারা তাদেরকে স্বর্গের রহস্য সম্পর্কে জানাবে।
