"The Chimney Sweeper"

1. I strongly support the claim that Romantic poets hoped to bring about social and political change through their writing. Also, I do agree with the editors of my text book in thinking that Blake’s poetry had the power to enact change in society by appealing to the imagination of the reader. It is sometimes hard to imagine results without logical reasoning, especially if you’re someone who cannot conclude anything without fact. But using your imagination opens up so many windows you never knew existed. Sometimes fact and reason, limits our knowledge or capacity to “think outside the box”. When it comes to such things like child labor, reason doesn’t even seem reasonable. I do not think children under the age of 14 should have to work and children under the age of 16 shouldn’t have to work hard.

2. The editors might have included the Parliament transcript as a primary source document because it is an actual account of something that has taken place.
I think having the Parliament transcript available to read actually enhanced the poems that I read. The meaning of the poems or the underlying messages were much clearer. I could see the same vision in my head of a helpless child, who is forced to do something out of not having an option. The poem from experience, even though is intended that a much older mind is being presented, still sounds as if the little child in him is hurting him, even now.