The Chimney-Sweeper (Innocence): Key Quotes

The Chimney-Sweeper (Innocence): Key Quotes

“The Chimney-Sweeper (Innocence)” - Key Quotes

• “And by came an Angel who had a bright key, / And he opened the coffins and set them all free”
• “Then down a green plain, leaping, laughing they run, / And wash in a river and shine in the Sun.”
• “And the Angel told Tom, if he’d be a good boy, / He’d have God for his father & never want joy.”
• “So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm.”

These excerpts can provide necessary focal points for analysis and interpretation. Each comes with its unique potential for exploration of themes, context, and language usage.

Potential Analysis: The use of the Angel and the promise of joy if Tom behaves well can be seen as a criticism of the Church and society’s view of suffering - offering future joys and salvation in exchange for enduring pain and hardship in the present. The final quote contrasts sharply with the grim realities that follow it, indicating a dramatic irony that comments on society’s failings.