I have chosen the second “The Chimney Sweepers” and its illustration counterpart as my focal point. The poem sets a sad and ominous mood for the readers. Blake tells us that even though the little boy is dancing and singing, if we were to look a little deeper we can see the “misery” that they are going through. The illustration compliments it well, we see how pitch black the kid is from cleaning chimneys but it also the opposite of white. The black color of the kid in the illustration represents impurity and the loss of innocence through working in the adult world. This is a stark contrast to the white snow that is falling, this can mean that however perfect it may seem on the outside, its just a facade.
Yes, I’m glad that you have addressed Blake’s use of black and white here. In this poem, Blake is critiquing both the parents who are oblivious to the suffering of their child and the church which is not standing up against the practice of child labor.