Blog #11: Benchmark Compare/Contrast Poem

In order to depict the complexity of their works, authors often publish revised versions of their previous works as the situations regarding the subject evolve. In this manner, William Blake's two poems, both titled The Chimney Sweeper and published in 1789 and 1794, attempt to establish the treacherous conditions faced by young chimney sweepers during the time period. Although written by the same author, the poems are representative of the differences in the industrious time periods in which they were published. Throughout both poems, Blake contrasts the innocence and resentment of the children towards their occupations through the careful placement of rhyme scheme and ironic diction, all the while highlighting the disparities in the tone of the speaker in each poem. Blake's response provides a emotional yet firm insight into the hardships faced in industrious lifestyle of the time period.

The 1789 poem presents Blake's initial response to the chimney sweepers and highlights the innate innocence of the working children. The poem's rhyme scheme is obtrusively present and maintains a consistent pattern throughout the work. Following the 'AABBCCDD...' scheme, the instantaneous repetition of the sound in the previous line emphasizes the children's need to continuously adhere to a routine set by their authorities. The strict rhyme of the poem is therefore representative of the strict and meaningless lifestyle led by the children. Additionally, Blake utilizes ironic diction numerous times throughout the poem to depict the concrete differences in two contrasting ideas. "As Tom was a-sleeping he had such a sight" (Blake l. 10) is a depiction of the restricted freedom presented to the children and to those of the industrial period. Merely through dreams are they able to see clearly without obstruction of outside influences. When an Angel "open[s] the coffins & set[s] them all free" (Blake l. 14), the irony between the presence of an Angel and coffins, a symbol of death, is a representation of the ability of solely angels to appease the struggles the children remain immersed in. The rhyme scheme and ironic diction underscore the darker aspects of the poem and thus emphasize the overall optimistic and innocent tone of the poem.

In the 1794 poem, Blake presents a altered response to the chimney sweepers by depicting the misery faced by the children to a greater extent. As used in the previous poem, the AABB CDCD EFEF rhyme scheme shows the wavering thought process of the children and their tendency to grow resentful and envious of others of higher authority. Ironic diction is used more explicitly in this poem, as the second stanza serves to contrast the "happy" (Blake l. 5) child with the "clothes of death" (Blake l. 7) he is made to wear.

Reflection

For this assignment, we were to analyze a question from the 2005 AP prompt that dealt with a compare/contrast format of two poems by the same author. I found it interesting that the poems were written by the same author and were given the same title, though published in different years, and attempted to incorporate this into my response. The meaningful experiences of this task were the ease I found in analyzing two poems compared to one and the extent to which I was able to apply what I have learned from in-class presentations over the past few weeks. In previous benchmark essays, I have been unable to develop a firm thesis statement that presents a substantial argument. Although my current thesis is still in need of improvements, I felt more confident in my ability to make a argument and justify its implications. Alternatively, I was unable to analyze the poems as thoroughly as I would have liked because of time restrictions, especially in the case of the second poem. This is a significant aspect I have to improve on to help develop my essays not only in this class, but in other subjects as well. The Literature and Composition book helped me in analyzing these poems and recognizing the similarities and differences between the two. As recommended, I created a chart of literary devices that I had identified in both poems which helped me explicitly see the similar and different ways in which the author incorporated them. The book also described some techniques to organize the format of my essay. I chose to use the 'text-by-text organization' method because of time constraints, although the 'element-by-element' method may have better suited to my needs. Before the revision, I will once again read the sample essay provided in the book to better guide me. Overall, I currently perceive my essay at a 3-4 level, simply because of my lack of elaboration on my main points and complete inability to analyze the second poem within the time limit.