In the literary writing “The Chimney Sweep” by William Blake, I suppose the reader could choose several themes that the author placed in the poem. Throughout the poem, Mr. Blake uses tone, speaker, and diction to develop and support this theme. The theme I was able to draw from it was the child's lack of innocence. Normally, we view children as very innocent beings and are honest about their feelings and actions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The children in this poem did not have a childhood. They are forced to wake up before sunrise to clean and sweep the chimneys. Children worked so young that they did not have the chance to be children and play like other children. This alone demonstrates that their innocence has been taken away from them. They are required to live a "black" life, covered in soot and are susceptible to early death and short lives. They run, jump and play only in their dreams. This sets up the theme of lack of innocence. The tone of Blake's "The Chimney Sweeper" has an irony that masks its innovative commitment. For example, in one part of this poem there is an animated tone as the boy's dream is described and the lines rhyme lightly: "And behold an angel who had a bright key, and he opened the coffins and laid them all down . free; Then on a green plain, jumping, laughing, they run, wash in a river and shine in the sun. » (13-16) The speaker of this poem is a young boy who was enslaved into the job of a chimney sweep when his mother died. His father sold him “when my tongue could scarcely weep” (2, 3). He tells the story of another chimney sweep, Tom Dacre, who cried when his hair was shaved to prevent soot from bleaching it. The diction of this poem is simple and childish. This is due to the child's narration of the poem. In Blake's writings, God is spoken of in terms of praise, because the child is taught to believe that God will forever be his father. The narrator of the poem seems happy and calm. He is unaware that they live like slaves and are condemned to die young before their time. The poem's adolescent diction is a product of the speakers' innocence. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, we discussed a great poem by William Blake. Unfortunately, at the time these lines were written, there was a lot of slavery and child labor. Blake did a great job using tone, speaker, and diction to set the theme..