“The Lamb” by William Blake contains a literal and a metaphorical meaning, the use of many literary elements, and the hidden symbolism contained within.
Firstly, “The Lamb” was written by William Blake published in Songs of Innocence in 1789. Much like this poem, many of William Blake’s works were about Christianity. The Lamb is a counterpart to William Blake’s “The Tyger” in Songs of Experience.
In the poem “The Lamb” by William Blake, two meanings can be found within the poem. One a literal meaning and two a metaphorical meaning. The literal meaning of this poem is pretty straightforward and can be seen as a person asking a lamb who the creator is. For example, “Little Lamb who made thee, Dost thou know who made thee.” This phrase shows the …show more content…
This metaphorical meaning can be seen as someone speaking to another human being or even a child, asking if they knew who created them. For example, the phrase “Little lamb who made thee. Dost thou know who made thee?”. The phrase shows the narrator asking a question in hopes to receive an answer. This hints to a human to human conversation. Another example can be the phrase “He is meek & he is mild, He became a little child: I a child & thou a lamb, We are called by his name.” This phrase shows a relation between Jesus and man by stating that “We are called by his name.” No matter what meaning the reader takes from this poem, the true meaning of the poem stays the same and that is God is the creator of all living things.
“The Lamb” uses many literary elements to make this a masterpiece. One literary element that the poem uses is a rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is set up as AA BB CC DD AA AA EF GG FE AA. As stated earlier, this poem uses metaphors like “He became a little child: I a child & thou a lamb.” This shows the how Jesus started out as a child and became known as the Lamb of God. Instead of a someone telling the story, this poem uses a narrator as the main character to tell the story. One thing we know about the narrator is that he can be a Christian trying to witness to …show more content…
The poem could be considered symbolic as referring to an evangelical standpoint. This poem is a reference to the Great Commission which is contained in the Bible verse Matthew 28:16-20, which states, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. (The Holy Bible) Another symbolic reference is the comparison of the Lamb of God and the lamb or sheep in the Lords Flock. This type of symbolism can be seen in the phrase, “I a child & thou a lamb, we are called by his name.” This phrase is a reference to the Bible verse Isaiah 4:10 which states, “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His Arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” (The Holy Bible) The last symbolic reference can be seen before reading any of the poem is the title. The title “The Lamb” refers to the creator more than the created since the main point of the poem is asking the lamb who the creator is.
The mood of this poem seems to be loving and caring by the way the narrator speaks to the lamb and like a teacher, pastor, or parent. This poems target audience is for people of all ages. This poem can be sung as a lullaby to small children or can be read as adults as a reference to a strategic way to
Firstly, “The Lamb” was written by William Blake published in Songs of Innocence in 1789. Much like this poem, many of William Blake’s works were about Christianity. The Lamb is a counterpart to William Blake’s “The Tyger” in Songs of Experience.
In the poem “The Lamb” by William Blake, two meanings can be found within the poem. One a literal meaning and two a metaphorical meaning. The literal meaning of this poem is pretty straightforward and can be seen as a person asking a lamb who the creator is. For example, “Little Lamb who made thee, Dost thou know who made thee.” This phrase shows the …show more content…
This metaphorical meaning can be seen as someone speaking to another human being or even a child, asking if they knew who created them. For example, the phrase “Little lamb who made thee. Dost thou know who made thee?”. The phrase shows the narrator asking a question in hopes to receive an answer. This hints to a human to human conversation. Another example can be the phrase “He is meek & he is mild, He became a little child: I a child & thou a lamb, We are called by his name.” This phrase shows a relation between Jesus and man by stating that “We are called by his name.” No matter what meaning the reader takes from this poem, the true meaning of the poem stays the same and that is God is the creator of all living things.
“The Lamb” uses many literary elements to make this a masterpiece. One literary element that the poem uses is a rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is set up as AA BB CC DD AA AA EF GG FE AA. As stated earlier, this poem uses metaphors like “He became a little child: I a child & thou a lamb.” This shows the how Jesus started out as a child and became known as the Lamb of God. Instead of a someone telling the story, this poem uses a narrator as the main character to tell the story. One thing we know about the narrator is that he can be a Christian trying to witness to …show more content…
The poem could be considered symbolic as referring to an evangelical standpoint. This poem is a reference to the Great Commission which is contained in the Bible verse Matthew 28:16-20, which states, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. (The Holy Bible) Another symbolic reference is the comparison of the Lamb of God and the lamb or sheep in the Lords Flock. This type of symbolism can be seen in the phrase, “I a child & thou a lamb, we are called by his name.” This phrase is a reference to the Bible verse Isaiah 4:10 which states, “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His Arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” (The Holy Bible) The last symbolic reference can be seen before reading any of the poem is the title. The title “The Lamb” refers to the creator more than the created since the main point of the poem is asking the lamb who the creator is.
The mood of this poem seems to be loving and caring by the way the narrator speaks to the lamb and like a teacher, pastor, or parent. This poems target audience is for people of all ages. This poem can be sung as a lullaby to small children or can be read as adults as a reference to a strategic way to