1. William Blake the chimney sweeper

2. Bio • William Blake was born on November 28, 1757 in London, the third of five children. His father James was a hosier, and could only afford to give William enough schooling to learn the basics of reading and writing, • Blake married Catherine Boucher at age 25, and she worked with him on most of his artistic creations. Together they published a book of Blake's poems and drawings called Songs of Innocence. • William Blake died on August 12, 1827, and is buried in an unmarked grave at Bunhill Fields, London.

3. The Chimney Sweeper • 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.Theres little Tom Dacre, who cried when his headThat curled like a lambs back was shav'd, so I said.Hush Tom never mind it, for when your head's bare,You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair

4. Poem • And so he was quiet. & that very night.As Tom was a sleeping he had such a sightThat thousands of sweepers Dick, Joe, Ned, & JackWere all of them lock'd up in coffins of black,And by came an Angel who had a bright keyAnd he open'd the coffins & set them all free.Then down a green plain leaping laughing they runAnd wash in a river and shine in the Sun.

5. Poem • 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 darkAnd got with our bags & our brushes to work.Tho' the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warmSo if all do their duty, they need not fear harm

6. Paraphrase • I was young when my mother died before I could cry my father sold me to a chimney sweeper. Tom was dreaming about thousands of sweepers Dick, Ned, Joe, and jack were locked up in a chimney. Then comes an angle and sets them free where they go to a river and swim naked. The angle tells Tom if he behaves he’d have God for a dad and would never need joy. The next morning they all got up and went to work happy with no sign of fear.

7. Analysis • Diction: Then naked & white- describes the people becoming almost like angles. They rise upon clouds-the angles are going to heaven.

8. Analysis • Tone & Mood: Very dark and vivid

9. Analysis • Rhetorical Situation: the little by is talking to audience; to realize the unhealthy working

10. Analysis • Figurative Language: simile: his headThat curled like a lambs back was shav'd Metaphor:

11. Analysis • Imagery: The mistreatment and awful working conditions of children

12. Analysis • Sound: “weep, weep, weep, weep” “laughing”

13. This poem is very sad. At the beginning he lost his brother and his dad sold him to a chimney sweeper. Tom never gave up on life though. I couldn’t imagine having to go through what tom had to.