1) I would agree with the editors of the textbook that Blake’s poetry had the power t enact social change by appealing to the imagination of the reader. In Blake’s poem “The Chimney Sweeper” from the songs of innocence he touches the reader with the boy’s sad story but leaves a happier ending in that you know the boy will be okay. In Blake’s poem “The Chimney Sweeper” from the sons of experience the boy is very blunt. For him he has accepted life as it is, although it is not the life he would choose he has learned to live with it. I think that in both poems Blake’s approach is to bring a connection with the reader sympathizing with these boys. Although the boy in the songs of experience isn’t presented to be as sad as the boy in the songs of innocence they are both very similar, and for both I felt sympathy as a reader. I felt the poems could enact social change because, for me, after reading these poems I wanted to help these boys and all children in their position.
2) I feel that the editors might have included the Parliament transcript as a primary source document so that the reader could have some historical background on the child labor laws back when these poems were written. By showing the harsh reality of these times and laws, this document is a good way to help the readers be more intuned with the characters feelings in the moment of the poem.
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