May Day

The Chimney Sweeper

William Blake

Source: Songs of Innocence,1789 and Songs of Experience;

1794 http://165.29.91.7/classes/humanities/britlit/97-98/blake/POEMS.htm;

HTML: for marxists.org in April, 2002.

The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Innocence), 1789

When my mother died I was very young,

And my father sold me while yet my tongue

Could scarcely cry " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!"

So your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep.

There's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head,

That curl'd llke a lamb's back. was shav'd: so I said

"Hush. Tom! never mind it, for when your head's bare

You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair."

And so he was quiet & that very night,

As Tom was a-sleeping, he had such a sight!

That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned or Jack.

Were all of them lock'd up in coffins of black.

And by came an Angel who had a bright key,

And he open'd the coffins & set them all free;

Then down a green plain leaping, laughing, they run,

And wash in a river. and shine in the Sun.

Then naked & white, all their bags left behind,

They rise upon clouds and sport in the wind;

And the Angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy,

He'd have God for his father & never want joy.

And so Tom awoke; and we rose in the dark.

And got with our bags & our brushes to work.

Tho' the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warm;

So if all do their duty they need not fear harm.

The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience), 1794

A little black thing among the snow:

Crying weep, weep, in notes of woe!

Where are thy father & mother! say!

They are both gone up to the church to pray.

Because I was happy upon the heath,

And smil'd among the winters snow:

They clothed me in the clothes of death,

And taught me to sing the notes of woe.

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.