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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 6 page paper discussing this theme in William Blake's infamous Romantic-era poem. The writer details various references made by Blake to child neglect and also describes some of the attitudes that were prevalent at that time. Thesis is well-argued and well-supported. Bibliography lists 7 sources.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_Blakechi.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
mystic; a rational voice and an insane prophet. Few people today take Blakes madness seriously, either because its not entirely believed, or it no longer matters. (What, after all, was
sane about English society in the late 18th century?) Above all, William Blake, writes Michael Ferber, seemed to "move in and rearrange the furniture of ones soul" (viii). Blakes Songs
of Innocence are so simple, so like the nursery rhymes they imitate, that one might wonder if there is hidden meaning or irony that is being overlooked. But its in
their simplicity that Blake opens a window to the world of eighteenth century London. Michael Ferber suggests that Blake is inviting the reader to travel through the world of innocence
(1), and become a child once again. It is precisely in this world of innocence that Blake examines the plight of Londons children. "The Chimney Sweeper" in Songs of Innocence
stands out as an example of child neglect: 1 And my father sold me while yet my tongue, 2 Could scarcely cry weep, weep, weep!"
This evokes such a powerful image -- the child, barely able to pronounce the words he was obliged to call out as a chimney sweep, is sold by his father.
That this was an accepted practice makes it no less a neglectful situation; in fact, it only serves to set up the child in a more deplorable state. Children in
the early 1800s were routinely apprenticed (actually, sold) at about age seven to unscrupulous masters who treated them brutally (Stevenson 68). The conditions faced by child chimney sweeps could not
have been more inhuman. These children were always in danger of suffocation or burning while sweeping out a chimney, not to mention the risk of skin cancer due to the
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