The child is asking questions to the Lamb
- b. The child then answers his own questions
- c. The child ends with a blessing
Ill. Relation to Jesus Christ
- A. Gentleness and kindness
- B. Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God ‘
V. Simply written
- A. Repetitive
- B. Theme of innocence and experience
V. The meaning
- A. Children’s song
- B. God created all
- C. God created man
VI. Conclusion
- B. Relation to Christ
- C. Innocence and experience
In the poem, “The Lamb” by William Blake, the speaker is clearly a child who explains that the creation of Lambs, mankind and everything that surrounds us, is through God Himself.
This poem was written simple and repetitive so that even the young can understand its meaning. Themes of innocence and experience are shown through Flake’s writing. By using a child as a speaker, Blake creates moods of innocence and experience throughout the entire poem. Flake’s clearly states that the speaker of this poem is a child in stanza 17. He says, “l a child, and thou a lamb” (Blake, 1789). This tells the reader that the child is speaking to the Lamb. In the beginning of the poem the child is asking the lamb questions about how he came onto the Earth and who his creator is.
When reading the first few lines of “The Lamb”, one may think that the speaker honestly doesn’t know the answers to the questions he is asking. However, in stanza 11, the speaker then begins to answer the questions of origin by stating that God is the Creator of all, including the child and the Lamb. The poem ends with the child blessing the lamb. Throughout the entire poem, Blake refers to Jesus Christ. Although he doesn’t specifically say the name” Jesus Christ”, He has been referred to as “The Lamb of God” many times in the Holy Bible.
This poem isn’t only about a child speaking to lamb about God’s creation. It also shows that the lamb has the same kindness and gentleness as that of Jesus Christ. Blake shows the gentleness and kindness of the lamb by stating the delicate features that the lamb possesses. In stanzas 6 and 7 of the poem, Blake refers to such features. He states, “Softest clothing wooly bright; Gave thee such a tender voice” (Blake, 1789). Blake is referring to the lamb and his soft wooly coat and his voice being delightful, gentle and kind. Just like that of Jesus Christ.
The gentleness and kindness of this poem go hand in hand with the writing style that Blake used. This poem is simply written and can be understood by even the ingest of children. The poem repeats itself which can make it easier to understand and comprehend the meaning of the poem. The speaker, which is clearly defined as a child, is young and shows signs of innocence and grace throughout the poem. Flake’s choice to use a child as the speaker, his repetitiveness, and his simplistic writing style all contribute to a theme of innocence within the poem.
There are themes of innocence and experience shown all throughout this poem. From the beginning when the child is asking questions of origin. This shows that the child is naive and his innocence shows through this. The theme of innocence also shows when the child is answering his own questions. Innocence is shown here because the child, although small, shows a great deal of knowledge. This also shows that the child is experienced with his faith. He answers questions of origin that are hard for even adults to comprehend.
At the end of the poem, the child blesses the lamb. This shows that the child has an experienced Christian faith. Christian faith runs very deep in this poem. The question of origin is asked and answered in Just a few short verses. Although the poem is short, there is a lot that can be determined from Flake’s poem. The poem suggests that God isn’t only the creator of lambs and children, but of nature and everything that surrounds it. God created us with gentleness and kindness, which goes back to the way that Blake, describes the lamb.
Blake asks a question and answers it without any doubt in the poem. It is as if there is no other possible answer to the question of origin; except that God is the creator of mankind, animals, nature, and everything that surrounds us. So in conclusion, in the poem, “The Lamb” by William Blake, the speaker is clearly a child who explains that the creation of Lambs, mankind, and everything that surrounds us, is through God Himself. This poem was written simple and repetitive, so that even the young can understand its meaning.
