When I first read the background on William Blake I couldn’t stop my special education background from peaking through. I detected in the writing a great deal of emotional instability. I also thought it interesting that he did not become famous until many years after his death. I saw this as a parallel to many artists. Since he was technically an artist, it fit well with my estimation of him. His eccentricity did not stop me from thoroughly enjoying his work. One particular poem was The Lamb.
The reader must interpret whether Blake is referring to an actual lamb or a small child. He wrote many poems about the innocence of childhood. When reading this poem I first thought Blake was talking to a child. One part of the poem talks about clothing, which is a human characteristic. “Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing wooly bright:” (line 5 &6) Lambs do not wear clothing, but the fact that the wool is made into clothing gives us a double meaning. Blake speaks of the lamb’s voice when he says, “Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice:” (line 7 & 8) This is the point in the poem where I felt that Blake was speaking to a small child, perhaps about Jesus. He compares the innocent child to Jesus by telling him he was also a lamb. “For he calls himself a Lamb: He is meek & he is mild He became a little child: I a child and thou a lamb,” (line 14-17). The end of the poem reassures the child that we are all God’s children and blessed by him. “We are called by his name. Little Lamb God bless thee. Little Lamb God bless thee.” ( line 18-20).
I loved this poem because of the pure innocence of it. I can just imagine a cherub faced child with rosy cheeks, ringlets of hair framing large eyes, entranced by the story of Jesus. This is the hope that we hold for our little children. This is how we want our children to remain, untainted by the cruel world. That is not how the world worked in Blake’s time and that has not changed in ours. The world is cruel and unforgiving of its teachable moments. With our children, we have to embrace those innocent moments and relish in them. If the world were personified I would see it as a repugnant, gluttonous, beady eyed, crooked scoundrel, foaming at the mouth for a chance to taint small innocent children. He would relish in teaching them to lie, cheat, steal, and slay the people they love with their words. Oh, wait I just described a teenager! Well maybe not that bad, but they have their moments I can assure you. Even though my own child is no longer an innocent little boy, I am thankful I took the time to appreciate his childhood. He will be released into this big cruel world to find his own way, and I pray to God every day that he bless him.
Joan,
ReplyDeleteVery good exploration of Blake through this specific poem. I enjoyed your impressionistic response to "The Lamb," primarily because you begin not with that response but with a close reading of specific passages in the poem. I don't think the response would be as insightful had you not begun with the text. I do wish you had paired this poem with "The Tyger," though; it provides a textual basis for your counterpoint to the innocence of "The Lamb." Keep up the good work!