William Blake was an English poet and artist who lived in London in the late 18th century. His environment was influenced by political shifts including the American and French Revolutions. Two of his poems discussed are "The Chimney Sweeper" which describes the sorrowful life of a young boy forced to work as a chimney sweep, and "A Divine Image" which uses personification to represent negative human emotions and actions as physical parts of the body to portray humans as responsible for creating terrible aspects of the world. Both poems have regular rhyme schemes and meter.

1. “The Chimney
Sweeper” & “A Divine
Image”
by William Blake

2. William Blake
Blake resided in London, England. He
lived a “respectable” area as a child that
seemed too dull to influence such
artistry. He never went to school as a
boy, therefore his imagination wondered.
Upon learning of Blake’s talent, his
parents send him to school when he was
ten and then to a master engraver as an
apprentice when he was fourteen.
Finally, Blake enrolled in the Royal
Academy at age twenty-one. While
Blake was writing, his environment was
changing. Political and social structures
were shifting, including the American
Revolution and French Revolution.

3. “A Chimney Sweeper”
The short story the chimney sweeper is
a sorrowful one. A small boy was left
alone by his mother and father. He,
however, attempts to stay positive.
Since he seems happy, those who have
hurt him have no idea of their
wrongdoing.

4. Meaning
The symbolism of
“clothes of death”
is that someone
tried to help the
young boy, and yet
the gift they gave
was no blessing.

5. Poetry Elements
Rhyme scheme: AABB CACA DEDE
Meter and Rhythm:
1st stanza 8-8-9-10
2nd stanza 10-9-9-9
3rd stanza 11-10-11-11

6. “A Divine Image”
Blake describes negative emotions and
actions as physical parts of the human
body. The human body is the describes
as a fiery being.

7. Meaning
Nouns such as
“Secresy” and
“Cruelty” are not just
personified with
human attributes.
Blake is meaning that
humans created and
are responsible for
these terrible parts of
our world.

8. Poetry Elements
Rhyme scheme: ABCB DEFE
Meter and Rhythm:
1st stanza 8-8-8-8
2nd stanza 8-8-8-8

9. Works Cited
http://www.poemhunter.com/i/ebooks/pdf/william_blake
_2004_9.pdf
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/william-blake
http://www.blakesociety.org/about-blake/blake-london/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chimney_Sweeper
http://updateslive.blogspot.com/2012/11/william-blake-
divine-image.html