How does William Blake establish a connection among the lamb, God and himself? Discuss in the light of his poem, 'The lamb. '
Answers
The "lamb" is a universal symbol for innocence and simplicity, the traits which are to be found in Jesus Christ too. In fact, the Holy Bible perceives the lamb as an incarnation of Christ. This is tacitly stated in William Blake's "The Lamb". This poem probes into the question of the creation of mankind. Blake, being rebellious in his philosophy, modifies the popular and theological notion of man being created by God. The most significant lines of the poem — "..Little Lamb I’ll tell thee!
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb.." — justify the connection of God with the Lamb. The Lamb's meek, mild, and tender nature is not only considered be as gifts by God, but also the association of the God with his own creation. The penultimate happens when the child narrator says, "..I a child & thou a lamb,/We are called by his name...". The child's declaration that the child and the lamb are alike leads to the most important conclusion — the child is a representation of God. This association of a child with God is explored at length in Blake's anthology of poems, Age of Innocence.
This poem is basically a child’s song which takes the form of question and answer where the child seeks answers from a lamb to abstract spiritual questions.
I this poem, the lamb symbolizes Jesus as traditionally, the image of Jesus as a lamb highlights the values of peace, gentleness, and meekness; all of which are important Christian values.
Through these underlying descriptions, William Blake establishes a connection between the lamb, God, and himself.