Perspectives

“The Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake is an important example of social activism through poetry, as it deals with the issue of child labour in England in 18-19th centuries. To understand better the text, we recommend that you look at it in perspective, connecting it to other works by the author, literary period, social context and literature with similar themes:

The literary period

William Blake belongs to the Romantic Age in literature, which is characterised by authors’ interest in rediscovering the past, nature versus man, idyllic social and physical settings, and in which feelings are given priority over thought and rationality. Other notable Romantic poets are: William Wordsworth, John Keats and P. B. Shelley.

Social context

A few words about chimney sweeping might also help you understan...