The Lamb By: William Blake

1. The LambBy: William Blake 3/19/14 1B

2. The Lamb. William Blake. • Little Lamb who made thee Dost thou know who made thee Gave thee life & bid thee feed. By the stream & o’er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing wooly bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice! Little Lamb who made thee Dost thou know who made thee Little Lamb I’ll tell thee, Little Lamb I’ll tell thee! He is called by thy name, For he calls himself a Lamb: He is meek & he is mild, He became a little child: I a child & thou a lamb, We are called by his name. Little Lamb God bless thee. Little Lamb God bless thee.

3. William Blake • William Blake was born on November 28, 1757, in London, England. He was a poet, artist and visionary. Blake always spoke of having visions. At age four he saw “God put his head to the window“ around age nine he saw a tree filled with angels. His parents believed he was lying but they did notice he was different from others. He learned to read and write at home. He attended a drawing school and 2 years later began to write. He studied engraving and loved gothic art. Blake married Catherine Sophia Boucher, who was illiterate and he taught her how to read, write, draw and color. For the remainder of his life he became an engraver and illustrator for books and magazines. He taught himself Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Italian, so that he could read classical works in their original language. He later died in 1827.

4. The Lamb • The poem is about Christianity. The lamb is a common metaphor for Jesus Christ, who is also called “The Lamb of God.” In the first stanza, the speaker asks the lamb who his creator is, the answer lies at the end of the poem. The lamb is seen as a pure and gentle creature. In the second stanza, the lamb is compared with Jesus, In the last two lines the speaker identifies the creator as god.

5. The Lamb • In the first stanza of the poem a child is asking about who the lamb is, who his creator is. The lamb is being honored for providing food and clothing. In the second stanza the creator is one who calls himself “The Lamb” (God). The lamb resembles both the child and gentleness. At the end of the poem the child blesses the lamb.

6. Literacy Devices • Metaphor: “For he calls himself a lamb.” • Alliteration: “Little lamb, Ill tell thee Little Lamb, Ill tell thee.” • Assonance: “He is meek & he is mild, He became a little child” “Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing wooly bright”

7. Summary • The lamb is a innocent poem written by William Blake in 1789. he wrote this poem about Christianity. • Little Lamb who made thee Dost thou know who made thee (lines 1-2)