In the literary writing “The Chimney Sweep” by William Blake, I suppose the reader can identify several themes that the author has inserted into the poem. Throughout the poem Mr. Blake uses tone, speaker, and diction to develop and support that theme. The theme I was able to derive was the child's lack of innocence. We normally 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The children in this poem had no childhood. They are forced to wake up before the sun rises and clean and sweep the chimneys. The children worked so young that they did not have the opportunity to be children and play like other children. This alone states that their innocence has been taken away from them. They are expected to live a "black" life, covered in soot and are susceptible to dying young and living a short life. They run, jump and play only in their dreams. This poses the theme as a lack of innocence. The tone of Blake's "The Chimney Sweep" has an irony that masks his innovative efforts. For example, in one part of this poem, there is an animated tone as the boy's dream is described and the lines rhyme slightly: “And there came an angel who had a bright key, and opened the coffins and put them all away. " free; then down a green plain jumping, laughing, they run, wash themselves in a river and shine in the sun. when his mother died. His father sold him "while my tongue was still hardly crying" (2, 3). He tells the story of another chimney sweep, Tom Dacre, who cried when his hair was shaved off to prevent soot from discoloring 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 referred to in terms of praise, just as a child is taught to believe that God will forever be his father. The narrator in the poem seems happy and calm. He is oblivious to the fact that they live as slaves and are condemned to die young before their time. The poem's adolescent diction is a product of the speaker's innocence. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, we have discussed a great poem by William Blake. Unfortunately, at the time this article was written there was a lot of slavery and child labor. Blake did a great job of using tone, speaker, and diction to set the theme.