“The Lamb” by William Blake
Little lamb, who made thee?
Does thou know who made thee,
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?
Little lamb, who made thee?
Does thou know who made thee?
Little lamb, I’ll tell thee;
Little lamb, I’ll tell thee:
He is callèd 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 callèd by His name.
Little lamb, God bless thee!
Little lamb, God bless thee!
Does thou know who made thee,
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?
Little lamb, who made thee?
Does thou know who made thee?
Little lamb, I’ll tell thee;
Little lamb, I’ll tell thee:
He is callèd 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 callèd by His name.
Little lamb, God bless thee!
Little lamb, God bless thee!
First reactions
The most obvious characteristic of this poem is its religious message. The lamb is allegory for the Lamb of God, Jesus. It references the Trinity when God and Jesus are considered one and the same. The message itself is offering praise for God as the creator of life and for Jesus for becoming the sacrificial lamb. The description of the lamb as having the softest clothing and a tender voice is intended to be further praise when Blake compares God and Jesus to it. There aren’t really any depths to plumb here.
Paraphrase
Little lamb, do you know who made you, and gave you life, food, your wool, and your voice? I will tell you that your creator also calls himself a lamb. He became a man. I am a man, you are a lamb, and we share the name He gave us. God bless you, little lamb.
Paraphrase
Little lamb, do you know who made you, and gave you life, food, your wool, and your voice? I will tell you that your creator also calls himself a lamb. He became a man. I am a man, you are a lamb, and we share the name He gave us. God bless you, little lamb.
SWIFTT
SW –Blake makes use of repetition and an aa-bb-cc-dd-aa rhyme scheme to make his poem a cohesive whole. His word choice is very simple and he uses a basic sentence structure, which would be prose-like if not for the repetition and song-like characteristics of the poem.
I – Imagery here is based on the description of the lamb, particular in its comparison with the Trinity and God, but also for its coat and other traits that lend further religious praise.
F – Figurative language here is used to draw a connection between the speaker, Blake, the lamb, and God. As He calls himself a lamb, and that both the lamb and Blake are called by His name, both man and lamb are connected to God.
T – The tone of the poem is laudatory and praising. It is lyrical as well, almost like an ode. It fits well with the songs commonly sung in church mass or liturgy, or with children’s nursery rhymes.
T –The main theme of the poem is, of course, religious praise. The lamb is an allusion to Jesus, the lamb of God, as well as to humankind. Blake praises our human qualities and ascribes them to a creator.
Conclusions
My conclusion is fairly similar to my initial reaction. However, the lamb references not only Jesus, but humans, as God's creation. The image of the shepherd leading the flock is very prevalent in Christianity. As for the structure of the poem itself, it resembles a children's song or nursery rhyme, and was probably meant to be matched with a melody.
