The Chimney-Sweeper (Experience): Themes & Linking Poems

Header: The Chimney-Sweeper (Experience): Key Quotes

“And because I am happy, & dance & sing, They think they have done me no injury”
“And are gone to praise God & his Priest & King, Who make up a heaven of our misery”

These lines illustrate the bitter irony of the poem, highlighting the hypocrisy and audacity of the upper classes who exploit the lower classes yet deludedly believe that they are guiltless.

Header: The Chimney-Sweeper (Experience): Poet & Context

William Blake often explored social and religious issues in his poetry, and ‘The Chimney-Sweeper (Experience)’ is no exception.
The poem is part of his larger work, Songs of Experience, which presents a more cynical view of the world compared to its companion piece, Songs of Innocence.
Contextually, the poem is a commentary on the hideously cruel practice of using young children, often orphans, as chimney sweeps. These children lived in horrific conditions, led perilous lives, and often did not live past adolescence.
The “Priest & King” mentioned in the poem points to Blake’s belief in the corrupt nature of institutions that were supposed to protect and serve the public.
Additionally, this poem and others in the same collection reflect Blake’s mystical views and his dissatisfaction with conventional Christian doctrines, which he felt often served to justify inequalities and suppress the underprivileged.