"The Lamb" is a poem written by William Blake, and it is one of the poems from his collection Songs of Innocence. The poem is a simple and sweet meditation on the nature of God and the divine, as seen through the eyes of a child.
The speaker of the poem asks the lamb, a symbol of innocence and purity, about its creator. The lamb replies that its creator is God, who is described as "he who is called by thy name." The speaker then goes on to ask a series of questions about God's attributes, and the lamb replies with descriptions of God's goodness, love, and wisdom.
One of the most striking aspects of the poem is the way in which it portrays the relationship between God and the lamb. In the eyes of the child speaker, God is a loving and nurturing figure, who cares for and protects the lamb. This is reflected in the language of the poem, which is full of positive and affectionate words like "tender," "joy," and "mercy."
Another aspect of the poem that is worth noting is its emphasis on the power of God. The lamb describes God as the one who "made thee," implying that God has the power to create and sustain life. This power is further emphasized by the description of God as the one who "clothes thee," suggesting that God is the one who provides for the lamb's needs.
Overall, "The Lamb" is a beautiful and uplifting poem that celebrates the goodness and love of God. Its simple and childlike perspective serves to remind us of the beauty and wonder that can be found in the natural world, and the importance of cherishing and respecting it.
The Lamb (Tavener)
It's no mistake that Blake chose a lamb to speak to in the poem. The argument is that the meaning or the significance of any utterance in the present is generated by the language itself. William Blake then proceeds to praise Jesus's qualities by commenting on His meek and mild personality. Retrieved 27 December 2022. The word choice in the poem creates a cheerful, intimate, and childish atmosphere. Little Lamb, who made thee? Overall, Blake's poem praises the gifts from God and reveals his benevolence and tender qualities. It is apparent from his essay that he does not believe that either reality or God—whether synonymous or not—is a function o rhetoric.
He poses some questions and then answers them. Dost thou know who made thee? The speaker of the poem does not want to accept a course of events and his life. What does the lamb poem symbolize? Little Lamb, God bless thee! Blake created the subtitle to make clear his belief in the two sides to the human soul. This is clearly a Biblical allusion. The image radiates a great deal of power, but while readers might wonder how much this radiance is artificially stimulated by a small creature the question finally is irrelevant here. The lamb as the symbol of Jesus always brings a sense of faith.
The speaker of the poem, who we discover in the second stanza is a child, is addressing a lamb and telling the creature that it was created by God. In the 1780s and 1790s, Blake published a series of works titled Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. The speaker goes on to explain to the unknowing lamb that all of this, marvelous though it might seem, was created by God, and the tone of the poem expresses great wonder at God's works. Christ also called himself a lamb and came to earth as a little child. The use of simple vocabulary also establishes an innocent and childlike speaker.
Blake educated her and taught her to make colours and prints. Gave thee life, and bid thee feed By the stream and o'er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight Softest clothing, woolly, bright; Gave thee such a tender voice Making all the vales rejoice? The first stanza of the poem is written in rhyming couplets with a simple rhyme scheme as AA BB BB BB AA. The poem ends in praise of the Lord Jesus Christ. Retrieved 27 December 2022. Alliteration is a beneficial technique that poets use for emphasizing particular phrases or amplifying the rhyme and rhythm of the poem.
Another theme in this poem, however, is suggested by the second stanza, in which the speaker makes explicit the connection between Jesus, the lamb, and children. Traditionally, lambs stand for innocence. The Lamb associates with Christ to form a Trinity of child, Lamb, and Redeemer. So the main idea here revolves around a child asking a lamb about who created them. The main stylistic device used in both poems is rhetorical questions.
Yet another and the most theme of the poem is spirituality. The main theme is to praise the Lord for creating such a beautiful world and the virtuous creatures within it. He is considered one of the great primogenitors of English Romanticism; his visual artwork is highly regarded worldwide. Retrieved 27 December 2022. Learn More Conclusion The examples of both poems show that Blake uses similar stylistic devices but conveys different meaning and themes in his poems. In both poems, Blake speaks about human life and attitude towards freedom, unique understanding of the world and a human. The Lamb is a symbol representing the innocent state of the soul, a dweller of the world of innocence and an emblem of purity, naturalness, and spiritual, original and natural being.
The Lamb by William Blake: Summary, Theme & Poem Analysis
They had five children in their family, of which Blake was the second one. The Lamb draws on religious symbolism, primarily the The Lamb: Tavener said "I read the words, and immediately I heard the notes". Its innocence is one of the most striking features. Those poets who would continue to speak with a public voice must accordingly modify or renounce their mission. In "The Lamb," there is little of the suspicion of urban environments found elsewhere in Blake's poetry. In this simplest poem, Blake uses a child as the speaker who directly addresses a lamb. Having finished with the character the narrative can then and for the first time affords it some sympathy.
Discover More Poetry Young Lambs By John Clare The spring is coming by a many signs; The trays are up, the hedges broken down, That fenced the haystack, and the remnant shines Like some old antique fragment weathered brown. Little Lamb I'll tell thee, Little Lamb I'll tell thee: He is called by thy name, For he calls himself a Lamb: He is meek and he is mild, He became a little child: I a child and thou a lamb, We are called by his name: Little Lamb God bless thee. I a child, and thou a lamb, We are called by his name. The verbal skill which celebrates the extremely laconic questions indicate a distance from them. Gave thee life and bid thee feed By the stream and o'er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing wooly bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice: Little Lamb who made thee? Most importantly, He's given the lamb life and the food necessary to sustain it.
READ ALSO: The Skylark By Christina Georgina: Summary, Analysis, Question-Answers Q. The speaker talks about how Jesus became human for the sake of all people. Seeing things in a romantic framework, Blake conceives of people as beings who must re-enact tradition. In the second stanza, the speaker tells the lamb probably a symbol for a child a bit about Jesus. Little Lamb who made thee Dost thou know who made thee The Lamb is a doctrinal poem where the poet pays tribute to Lord Christ, who was innocent and pure like a child and meek and mild like a lamb. The voice of the Lamb is equally relevant in verse. Dost thou know who made thee? The Lamb, in this poem, represents innocence and humanity.
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