oth Chimney-Sweeper poems show Blake to be a radical critic of the social injustices of his age. His indictment of desperate material conditions and those institutions which perpetuate them is passionate and powerful, but his greatest anger is reserved for the forces – the established Church, mercenary and uncaring parents – that restrict our vision and prevent us from understanding both our oppression and the infinite possibilities of true perception.
Author’s Note
My readings of these poems have been developed through discussions with many English students at Paston VI Form College but especially with Sophie Smith and Nell Burnham.
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