Not everything is just a childs verse in the Songs of Innocence. William Blake introduces a dark tone in this song as a rant on society. Presently known as one of Englands first free thinkers, he brilliantly expressed his opinions about the horrors of what he saw in society and how it allowed these situations arise. In The Chimney Sweeper, William begs the question, how could society turn a blind eye to these unfortunate young boys, whose mothers happen to die, and their fathers end up selling them to a chimney sweeper? How could people force them to work and live in such fatal conditions, all for the sake of personal gain? Society did not appreciated William Blake and what he had to say and many considered him to be mad. Today, sadly his song is still relevant as child abuse continues to be epidemic in the world. The Chimney Sweeper lyrics by William Blake (The Songs of Innocence) 1789 music by Enya (Lothliorein) Shepherd Moons 1991 When my mother died I was very young And my father sold me while yet my tongue Could scarcely cry weep! weep! weep! So your chimneys I sweep, & in soot I sleep. Theres little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head, That curld like a lambs back, was shavd: so I said Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when you heads 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 lockd up in coffins of black. And by came an Angel who had a bright key, And he opend the coffins & set them 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 hed be a good boy, Hed 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, Tho the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warm, So if all do their duty they need not fear harm.youtu.be/k410rZO2y4s
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 22:07:57 +0000
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