William Blake, ‘The Chimney-Sweeper’: Practice Questions

What physical change happens to Tom Dacre at the beginning of Blake’s poem?

What is implied by the comparison of Tom Dacre’s hair to a “lamb’s back” in the second stanza?

Consider the structure and rhythm of the final stanza: “And so Tom awoke; and we rose in the dark, / And got with our bags & our brushes to work.” How does the rhythm contribute to the poem’s meaning?

In the final stanza, what time of day is it when the boys wake up to begin their work?

What is the significance of the “bright key” held by the Angel in Tom Dacre's dream?

In William Blake's 'The Chimney-Sweeper', how does the contrast between the 'soot' and the 'bright key' symbolize the sweeps' hope for liberation?

In 'The Chimney-Sweeper', what is the significance of Tom Dacre's dream in relation to the poem's critique of religious exploitation?

In William Blake’s ‘The Chimney-Sweeper’ (from Songs of Innocence), what is the ironic significance of the poem's final line, ‘So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm’?

In William Blake’s poem ‘The Chimney-Sweeper’, explore how Blake portrays the harsh reality and the inner lives of the young sweepers through the following parts:

(a) How does the speaker’s account of his early life in the first stanza establish the poem’s tone? (2 points)
(b) Discuss the significance of the imagery in Tom Dacre’s dream. How does it contrast with the boys' daily lives? (3 points)
(c) To what extent is the final line of the poem—'So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm'—intended to be seen as ironic? (2 points)

In William Blake’s ‘The Chimney-Sweeper’ (from Songs of Innocence), the poet uses religious and natural imagery to critique social injustice. Provide a detailed analysis based on these parts:

a) Contrast the visual imagery of the “coffins of black” with the dream sequence where the boys are “naked & white”. What does this transition imply about the boys' earthly existence? (2 points)

b) Discuss the role of the Angel in the dream. How does the promise that the boy would “have God for his father” function as both a comfort and a form of social control? (3 points)

c) How does the speaker’s own voice—especially in the opening and closing stanzas—reveal Blake’s attitude toward the institutions (like the church and family) that allowed child labor to persist? (3 points)