Poem Paraphrase - The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake

I have chosen The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake as my poem to paraphrase.  The original poem will follow.

When I was a young boy my mother died.  Immediately after, my father sent me off to be a chimney sweep before I even had a chance to mourn her.  I work for you, sweeping out your chimneys and I sleep in poverty and soot.  There is a a little boy who is a sweep named Tom Dacre.  He had the curliest hair, like a woolly lamb.  When he had his head shaved it upset him greatly.  I tried to comfort him by telling him that the soot can't spoil his white blond hair now.  That quieted him down.  That same night he had a dream that  thousands of sweepers, including dick, Joe, Ned and Jack had all died and were locked up in coffins.  An Angel came and with a bright key opened the coffins and set them free from their deaths.  They all ran through the green grass, laughing and jumping on their way.  They washed themselves in the river and basked in the light of the sun.  Once they had washed the dirt and grime of this world off themselves, they were taken up on clouds to heaven.  The Angel told Tom that if he were a good boy, someday he would have God for his father and would always be happy and never want for joy.  When Tom woke, we gathered our brushes and went off to work.  It was a cold morning, but Tom was happy and warm, basking in the light of his dream.  What I have learned from this is that if you do what you are supposed to do, then there is no reason to fear life or death.


The Chimney Sweeper
by William Blake

When my mother died I was very young,
And my father sold me while yet my tongue
Could scarcely cry  " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!"
So your chimneys I sweep, and in soot I sleep.

There's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head,
That curled like a lamb's back, was shaved: so I said
"Hush, Tom!  never mind it, for when you head's bare
You know that the soot cannot spoil you white hair."

And so he was quiet, and that very night,
As Tom was a-sleeping, he had such a sight!
That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned, and Jack,
Were all of them locked up in coffins of black.

And by came an Angel who had a bright key,
And he opened the coffins and set them all free;
Then down a green plain leaping, laughing they run,
And wash in a river, and shine in the sun.

Then naked and white, all their bags left behind,
They rise  upon clouds and sport in the wind;
And the Angel told tom, if he'd be a good boy,
He'd have God for his father, and never want joy.

And so tom awoke; and we rose in the dark,
And got with our bags and our brushes to work.
Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm;
So if all do their duty they need not fear harm.