Response to the 3 poems

 The three poems are dark and grim, but in a way "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes and "Chimney Sweeper" both try to console and/or give hope to the reader. "Chimney Sweeper" by William Blake reveals to the observer/reader the oppression of his time that was mainly directed towards children. During this time there weren't many or any labor laws that supported children so children ended up working instead of going to school. Many children died and it caused great concern. In the poem, the speaker tells us of a dream, lines 11-20. In my opinion, this poem is saying that when they die they will feel better and be "naked and white" (line 17) as opposed to being covered in black soot. "Mother to Son" is a mother speaking to her son of how tough life is and that life is going to suck but he needs to keep going and strive. The tertiary poem "For my daughter" by Weldon Kees is the poem I found most interesting. It was kind of confusing almost like he's speaking of something that happened another time or maybe never at all. In the last line he says "I have no daughter. I desire none." which I think means he's never had a daughter and he's basically just listing the reasons why he wouldn't want to have one. In the penultimate line he says "These speculations sour in the sun." he calls it speculations so he never had a daughter because if he did he thinks she would just die of an illness or ended up with a fool or with syphilis.
Oppression, bleak opportunity due to the racism in your time, death and hysteria. How awesome.