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Poetry2
Chapter 7
4- Irony
What’s meant by irony ?
It’s a literary term or a device or a figurative language which serves the sarcasm or ridicule or may not . . Sarcasm means fun of something , making fun or ridicule . Irony is a situation by using the language . We have two kinds of irony dramatic irony & irony of situation .
The verbal irony : is saying the opposite of what one say means . We always confuse with sarcasm & satire . Sarcasm most of the time is bitter , harsh & hurt the feeling . The hurt , the injury & the pain which are caused by sarcasm in order to make & fix a thing . sarcasm , satire & irony are under one umbrella . Sarcasm is always using words to make fun of something . There a similarity between irony , satire & sarcasm . Irony is a situation or a use of language in incongruity .It’s a literary device that services the sarcasm or ridicule , but irony isn’t bitter or cruel like sarcasm & satire , so sarcasm is satirizing anything cruelly . In verbal irony it’s important to understand the meanings of the words . If you don’t understand the words , you will not understand the irony . so Irony gives verbal irony then sarcasm & satire .
Dramatic irony ( from drama or an action ) : It is a device in which the author implied a different meaning ,also it shows us shocking situation & horrible action, for example Oedipus is a tragic irony . We use this kind mostly in novels & plays .
Irony of situation : It is the difference between the actual circumstances & those that would seem appropriate , for example in Ancient Mariner by Coleridge “ water , water , everywhere “ but not a drop to drink” . All of these kinds of irony ( dramatic irony & irony of situation ) are powerful literary devices which used in literature , they make the word more effective & help the reader to understand better . ((she said read the definitions from the book ))
The Chimney Sweeper
by William Blake ( 1757 – 1827 )
This poem is about a young orphan child , his mother
died when he was very young . He was a chimney sweeper who lived in the late of the 18th century . . In that time people used to built their houses with a fire to warm them , these fires had chimneys to let the fumes get out the black substances not the ashes because the ashes still inside . The chimneys were made of bricks , inside the chimney there was a kind of protection by using mud or cement , So it must be cleaned , otherwise the wood will not burn . In that time those who cleaned these chimneys were called a chimney sweepers . They were young children , there ages were about 5 years old . This is a kind of slavery of children . These go out & cry “weep , weep” to advertise the people to clean their chimneys . The chimney sweeper was without clothes , they wore their underwear because the chimneys were full of dirt & black substances .They carry bags & small brushes to sweep and clean . They go down through a chimney by using a robe . Sometimes they die or suffocate or their arms or legs are broken because they aren’t protected by a man to help them or by clothes . It was one of the horror of that period . They used to make light by fire to clean finish quickly . So the chimney sweeper is a young child who works at an early age a dangerous work .
1st stanza
The child tells that he is an orphan young child , his father sold him in an early age . “ my father sold me ’’usually the poor people in that time send their children to work for a sweep master , they thought that this master would be kind with their children & would take care of them , but he didn’t .
What do you understand from the poem ? The chimney sweeper is an orphan young child . he is the speaker , he sold by his father in order to work & lives in a bare room without beds , he sleeps on the floor . The children advertised themselves by saying weep , weep , weep . So the people listen & get them to clean their chimney .
In the 1st stanza , there is a kind of a biography of the speaker , he tells us about his conditions .
Do you feel any sadness from the speaker ? NO , we feel the irony . He tells a fact that he is an orphan & he works , so we feel sad about him .
The child narrates “ when my mother died I was very young “’’ ( I ) refers to the speaker . “ my father sold me”it’s an irony , the father sold him to a master to do some work as in ****************ile factories or chimney sweeping . These kinds of work are very dangerous , this is the miserable condition of the children .
“ yet my tongue …Could scarcely cry “weep !, weep ! , weep ! , weep ! It’s a verbal irony , the young child can’t pronounce the word (weep ) . The quotation mark show us that he can’t pronounce . The child was sold as a slave when he was very young . The children advertised themselves by saying ( weep, weep ) , so the people listen & get them to clean their chimneys . “your “’’he is addressing the adults or the grown up , I clean your chimney , the speaker doesn’t talk to the children .
“soot I sleep it’ a ****************phor he sleeps in dirt .
2nd stanza
There is another sweeper , he didn’t cut himself but he was shaved by the master sweep . The master sweep when he received a new child , he shaved his hair . The hair will not entangled by the inside protection of the chimney so the child will get quickly , so that they shave their heads . Tom Dacre cried because his long hair was shaved . The speaker told him “Hush Tom , never mind it …. “”, if you haven’t hair (bare head ) , the soot can’t spoil your white hair . When you have no hair , your hair will not be dirty . This is a justification of the speaker , the child is more mature & in the same age , he told to his friend this innocent justification .
In the 2nd stanza , the speaker is like a narrator , the narrator tells us a story of another person . Now he is telling us about Tom Dacre who was a young new comer & who cries when his head was shaved by his master , He is attentive or a trainee .
“That curled like a lamb’s back” “ like “” is a simile , he compares his hair with a young lamb . “ lamb “ is very significance because it is from the Bible , it’s symbolic because it refers to the innocence , purity & quietness . Tom Dacre is compared by the lamb , he is like a baby innocent & pure . His hair is like the lamb’s hair . The narrator tells Tom to stop crying & to calm him down . The speaker is young , but he acts like his parents & say don’t cry because your hair will be dirty when you work .
“can’t spoil your white hair “” is an irony & hyperbole , the narrator try to protect the child & acts like his father . He is more mature & older than him .
3rd stanza
Then he stopped crying & had a dream ( a sight ) . Thousands of sweepers , they have different names ( Dick , Joe , Ned , & Jack ) they were all in coffins . Coffins means the box where died bodies were put in . In the Christianity , the Christians put in coffins when they died .
We have thousands of children are locked up in coffins .
In the third stanza , “ And so he was quite …..” it’s a justification , when he stopped crying & he was comforted by another one , he had a dream ( sight ) . This dream tells a story about many children were imprisoned & locked in black coffins , it’s a ****************phor . The children were covered by black substances these black dirt like coffins .
“’ coffins “”it is a symbol of their miserable life because they are over work . The whole sentence is a ****************phor .
Line 11 is the beginning of the dream , line 20 is the end of this dream .
Who has the dream ? What’s a dream ?
4th stanza
The dream is when the children were in black coffins , they lived , laughing , happy , & jumping . They were happy & playing in a green field & they will shine in the sun .
In the 4th stanza , the image of the angel is bright & white , the angel have a bright key , he opened the coffins & get them all free . The image of the angel with his bright key relieves them after there were locked in coffins . Then they run to a green field jumping , laughing & they wash .
‘ wash “ is a biblical reference to the Bible , when the child is born , they wash him as a kind of purity . They get in the river & remove their dirt 7 they shine in the sun , so they become white & clean . In the 4th stanza there is a continuity of a dream .
5th stanza
How can he be a good boy ?
If he doesn’t cry , do his work , never complains, he’ll be always happy.
In the 5th stanza , they will leave their bags which they keep on , they will be disconnected from the work , they will rise upon clouds like spirits & play in the wind . The angel tells Tom if he ‘d a good boy
& behave well , he ‘d God of his father , so the figure of the father is God & he’ll never suffer ( never want joy ) , he’ll be always happy & satisfied . This is the end of the dream .
.6th stanza
What happened to Tom after waking up ? Did he cry ?
No , he had awaken happily from his dream , satisfied & smiled . Then the children start a new day of work . Although the morning is very cold , but the child is happy & warm .
In the 6th stanza , if children rise up early , they are ready to start their work by taking their bags & brushes . The weather is cold in the morning but Tom was warm & happy because he had a dream .
If all the children work , they will not be harmed 7 not afraid from any harm . It’s a moral lesson in the last line , they accept the reality & sustain or endure their work . This moral lesson is in their minds .
What’s the story in this poem ?
The speaker is an orphan young child . He isn’t the poet , he is a chimney sweeper who is narrating his story & his incident . Tom Dacre is the one who saw the dream & the speaker is the one who tells us about this dream .