Questioning Creation
In most cases, poems written by the same author often display similar themes. The author usually focuses on one particular topic or idea and strongly states it in his writings. Sometimes, poets use aspects of their own lives as a basis for their poetry. In William Blake's "The Lamb" and "The Tyger", the author utilizes similar themes in both.
Blake's poems often dealt with religious topics. "He was a libertarian obsessed with God…a Christian who hated the church." (Kazin, p.3) In Blake's "The Lamb", he discusses many points that question creation and religion. To Blake, the lamb represents innocence and fragility. His description of the lamb states "Gave thee clothing of Delight -- Softest clothing, wooly, bright; - Gave thee such a tender voice".
(Knopf, p.19) "Blake develops an elaborate personal mythology that underlies virtually all symbolism and ideas in his work" (Shilstone, p.223) Blake wrote this poem as though he was speaking directly to the lamb. He asks it, "Dost thou know who made thee? -- I a child & thou a lamb, --We are called by his name" (Knopf, p.19) At the time it was written, these lines probably held little or no significance. However, today, we see that Blake's phrasing brought much religious significance to the poem. If you recall, Baby Jesus is referred to as "The Lamb of God".
With that in mind, what Blake says can be interpreted in various ways. As stated before, "He was a libertarian obsessed with God…a Christian who hated the church." (Kazin, p.3) Yet Blake refers to the entity that created the lamb as the entity that by which he himself was created. What was Blake trying to say here? Did he feel that his being and life were just as symbolic of that of the "lamb" or Baby Jesus' life? Or did he think that he would be recognized as a prophet of the lord in a future reference of religion? A distinction is hard to make, however present day writings tend to agree with the second alternative. "In his prophetic books, William Blake is a visionary who can be compared without blasphemy to the prophets of the Old Testament". (Knopf, Inner Jacket) The entire poem "The Lamb" seems to be one general question of "how".
Another poem written by Blake entitled "The Tyger", portrays the tiger as a symbol of evil.
In Blake’s poem “The Lamb” from Songs of Innocence, Blake proves that in order to keep innocence alive, a child must not question. It is in a child’s nature to trust all that has been told. Therefore the lamb represents childhood as well as innocence. The lamb is personified as being a gentle creature without sin, and the poem itself is characterized by pleasant light imagery. This imagery is an indicator that innocence is a desired state of being. In the first stanza of the poem, the narrator asks questions regarding
In the poem, "The Lamb," from Songs of Innocence, William Blake asks the little lamb, "Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee?" (1351). It is here where the author purposely questions the reader and leaves the reader, wandering for an answer to that precise question. The author then continues by leading the reader to an indirect possible answer to his question by saying "Little Lamb I'll tell thee! / He is called by thy name, / For he calls himself a Lamb" and proceeds a line later with "He became a little child; / I a child & thou a lamb." It is apparent that he doesn't exactly give a direct answer. He mentions in an roundabout way that the lamb's creator calls himself a Lamb and that he became a little child. This vague background provides an idea who the creator actually is, but not enough to somehow match the creator with God from the biblical texts. And, since the information is vague, the reader really can't come to a narrowed conclusion because the answer itself depends on the reader's beliefs and experiences and so therefore leaves the true answer to the question still unanswered.
In "The Lamb," Blake utilizes the image of the sheep to paint a picture of guiltlessness. The sheep is an image of Jesus Christ. The sheep is additionally an image of life. It furnishes people with nourishment, dress, and different things people need to survive. The line "For he calls himself a Lamb" is a line that Jesus himself has utilized (Blake 538). A sheep is an exceptionally accommodating and gentle animal, which could be the reason Blake decided to utilize this creature to depict God's giving side. He even alludes to God as being resigned and mellow in line fifteen: "He is docile, and he is gentle." Blake needs to show his followers that God is wrathful yet a pardoned and adoring inventor.
William Blake, was born in 1757 and died in 1827, created the poems “The Lamb,” “The Tyger,” and Proverbs of Hell. Blake grew up in a poor environment. He studied to become an Engraver and a professional artist. His engraving took part in the Romanticism era. The Romanticism is a movement that developed during the 18th and early 19th century as a reaction against the Restoration and Enlightenment periods focuses on logic and reason. Blake’s poetry would focus on imagination. When Blake created his work, it gained very little attention. Blake’s artistic and poetic vision consists in his creations. Blake was against the Church of England because he thought the doctrines were being misused as a form of social control, it meant the people were taught to be passively obedient and accept oppression, poverty, and inequality. In Blake’s poems “The Lamb,” “The Tyger,” and Proverbs of Hell, he shows that good requires evil in order to exist through imagery animals and man.
In conclusion these two poems by William Blake are both deep and have hidden meanings, they both use imagery, repetition, alliteration and ryming couplets as well as biblical references to create a vivid pictures in the readers head. But these poems do differ in many ways such as the structure, theme and way it is written. The Tyger appeals to me most as it has more hidden meanings than the Lamb and the Lamb is boring and as if written by a child (for effect). In this essay I have analysed, contrasted and compared the two poems The Tyger and The Lamb to the best of my ability detailing the poetic devices used and the underlying meanings.
Blake’s “The Lamb” effectively establishes the sublimity and innocence surrounding the concept of natural existence. In the poem, the speaker innocently poses the question of the lamb’s origin, suggesting the naivety and impeccability of the speaker’s actions later in the poem. Additionally, the speaker, referencing the lamb’s wool as it’s “clothing,” affirms his/her lack of worldly experience. By the end of the poem, the speaker acknowledges that it is a child, stating “I [he is] a child & thou [his companion is] a lamb” (Blake 17), further revealing Blake’s attempts to encompass the innocence of childhood in his poem and explaining the purpose of his utilization of the calming and simplistic tone that is present throughout the poem. The speaker’s absence of logic and knowledge parallels Rousseau’s statements in “A Discourse on Inequality,” which stated that “…the more discoveries we [mankind] make[s], the more we deprive ourselves of the means of making the most important of all” (Rousseau 43). As a result of these statements in both the poem and Rousseau’s A Discourse…, readers are exposed to an alternative, slightly pessimistic view of economic and techno...
This association emphasizes her Christ-like nature – like Jesus, she is a "lamb of God," an innocent being sacrificed. The three-fold association of children, lambs, and Christ was immediate and obvious in 19th century culture – as in William Blake’s poem "The Lamb."
However, keep in mind that this poem was published in 1794. A renowned movement in history had just taken place a few years before this poem was published. That movement was The First Great Awakening. Christine Heyrman of The Univeristy of Delaware describes the First Great Awakening as “a revitalization of religious piety that swept through the American colonies between the 1730s and the 1770s.” (Heyrnman 1). This means that just before Blake published his poem, a revamping of Christian culture was being taken place in The United States. This is essential information to keep in mind because Blake, less than thirty years later, questions Christianity in its entirety through a poem called “The
Blake had an uncanny ability to use his work to illustrate the unpleasant and often painful realities around him. His poetry consistently embodies an attitude of revolt against the abuse of class and power that appears guided by a unique brand of spirituality. His spiritual beliefs reached outside the boundaries of religious elites loyal to the monarchy. “He was inspired by dissident religious ideas rooted in the thinking of the most radical opponents of the monarchy during the English Civil War “(E. P. Thompson). Concern with war and the blighting effects of the industrial revolution were displayed in much of his work.
In the poem “The Lamb,” William Blake writes about a child and a Lamb. Jesus Christ is this Lamb. In John, it is written “And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!” (1.36). This is echoed in the line of the poem that says, “For he calls himself a Lamb” (14). The next line of the poem states that “He is meek & he is mild” (15). Jesus is meek as well as mild. This is stated in the Gospel of Matthew. “. . . I am meek and lowly in heart . . .” (11.29). The poem also states that “He became a little child” (16). Jesus came to earth as a child to live among mankind. This is stated by the prophet Isaiah. “For unto us ...
Blake is saying to the lamb, I'll tell you who made you, and it is
William Blake was born and raised in London from 1757 to 1827. Throughout his early years, Blake experienced many strange and unusual visions, claiming to have seen “angels and ghostly monks” (Moore). For those reasons, William Blake decided to write about mystical beings and Gods. Two examples of the poet expressing his point of view are seen in “The Tyger” and “The Lamb.” Both poems demonstrate how the world is and to sharpen one’s perception. People perceive the world in their own outlook, often times judging things before they even know the deeper meaning of its inner personification. Blake’s wondrous questions actually make an acceptable point because he questions whether God created the tiger with the same intentions as he did with the lamb.
In his work, Songs of Innocence and Experience: Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul, William Blake uses the aforementioned contrasting states of being to illustrate his unique view of the world around him. Through this work, Blake lays bare his soulful views of religion and ethics, daring the reader to continue on in their narcissistic attitudes and self-serving politics. While Blake's work had countless themes, some of the most prevalent were religious reform, social change, and morality. Philosophically, one would think that William Blake was a Deist; however Blake rejected the Deist view of life. He was a devout Christian, yet he also wanted nothing to do with the church or their teachings. These views give Blake a refreshingly sincere quality with regards to his art and writings. Blake frequently alluded to Biblical teachings in his work and, more often than not, used corresponding story lines to rail against the Church's views and accepted practices. One may say however, that Blake's universal appeal lies within his social commentary. Similar to a fable, Blake weaves a poetically mystical journey for the reader, usually culminating in a moral lesson. One such poem, "A Poison Tree," clearly illustrates some of William Blake's moral beliefs. With his use of imagery, as well as an instinctive knowledge of human nature, William Blake shows just how one goes from the light to the darkness (from innocence to experience) by the repression of emotions.
The imagery of nature and humanity intermingling presents Blake's opinion on the inborn, innate harmony between nature and man. The persona of the poem goes on to express the `gentle streams beneath our feet' where `innocence and virtue meet'. This is where innocence dwells: synchronization with nature, not synchronization with industry where `babes are reduced to misery, fed with a cold usurous hand' as in the experienced version of `Holy Thursday'. The concept of the need for the individual's faithfulness to the laws of nature and what is natural is further reiterated in `the marriage of heaven and hell' in plate 10 where Blake states `where man is not, nature is barren'. The most elevated form of nature is human nature and when man resists and consciously negates nature, `nature' becomes `barren'. Blake goes on to say `sooner murder an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires'. This harks back to `the Songs of Innocence' `A Cradle Song' where the `infants smiles are his own smiles'. The infant is free to act out its desires as it pleases. It is unbound, untainted. Blake's concern is for the pallid and repressed, subjugated future that awaits the children who must `nurse unacted desires' and emotions in this new world of industrialisation. Despairingly, this is restated again in `the mind-forg'd manacles' of `London'. The imagery of the lambs of the `Songs of Innocence' `Introduction' is developed in `the Chimney Sweeper' into the image of `Little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head, that curl'd like a lamb's back, was shav'd'.
In William Blake’s poem “The Lamb” the speaker begins with the ultimate question, “Little Lamb, who made thee?/ Dost though know who made thee?/” (Blake lines 1-2). The speaker then continues to elaborate on the question in a playful, innocent, singsong manner describing the kindness and thoughtfulness that the creator put in to producing this ever so gentle lamb. The tone of this poem is soft and lulling, the tender, calm rhyme scheme puts the reader in a soothing, dreamlike state. “The words and images presented - stream, mead, delight, softest, tender and rejoice - are positive and pastoral. One can picture a lamb frolicking in the green grass…” (Smith).