As Thwala et al. (2018) posit, poetry is literature work that utilizes rhythms and sounds on a language aimed at evoking more profound significance rather than the mere literal meaning of the words. Poets employ literature devices in their work of poetry to capture and convey relevant messages in the desired manner. This paper comprehensively analyses symbolism, simile, genre, and metaphor in the poem “ The Chimney Sweeper.”
A simile is a device used to make a comparison that shows similarities between two different things. Unlike metaphor, simile incorporates words such as ‘like’ or ‘as’ to draw resemblances. The poem “The Chimney Sweeper” uses the simile device in the second stanza, where the poet relates how the little Tom Dacre cried carrying the head like the back of a lamb ( Kurnianto 2019).
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Symbolism is the practice of using an object or a word to represent an abstract idea. The poet has utilized the skill in the third stanza, the last line where he says, "where all of them locked up in coffins of black.” The coffins of black, in this case, symbolize a hazardous situation in which Dick, Jack and the other friends were being perceived to be in ( Kurnianto 2019).
However, contrary to similes, metaphors are used to compare two or more things to explain ideas directly without using terms such as 'like’ and ‘as’. Considering the fourth stanza, first line, the poet uses a metaphor when he says that- came an Angel who had a bright key ( Kurnianto 2019).
Lastly, the genre is the classification of a poem based on themes, styles, and characteristics of a poem. The poet has exposed skills by well-employing similes, metaphor and symbolism, as illustrated above in this article. The devices have at a great deal helped the poet in convening the message to the audience.
References
Kurnianto, N. J. (2019). Child Exploitation is reflected in William Blake’s “The Chimney Sweeper” (Doctoral Dissertation, Diponegoro University).
Thwala, J. J., Mthethwa, N. C., & Lusenga, N. M. (2018). An Analytic Study of three Rhetorical Devices: Metaphor, Simile and Antithesis in Siswati Proverbs. International Journal of Information Technology and Language Studies, 2 (3).
