Poem The Lamb example essay topic

Blakes selection of poetry, 'Songs of Innocence and of Experience' includes a variety of contrasting paired poems. In this essay I will be comparing 'The Lamb' and 'The Tiger'. These poems, like the majority of the other poems in the book, contain themes of religion, and creation. 'The Lamb' appears to be rather childish and simple, 'Little lamb who made thee?', however when you explore the poem in more depth, it is complex. The poem has high lyrical value, due to the repetitions, so Blake may have intended it to be set to music.

In the poem the lamb suggests innocence, and joy, Blake expresses his feeling by using vocabulary such as, 'life', 'delight', 'bright', and 'tender'. A lamb needs protecting, as it is, 'mild' and 'meek' ('The Shepherd' a poem later in the collection, expresses the feelings of Christ protecting the innocence of his flock). The poem has high religious value, as in this poem Blake appears to write as an orthodox Christian. God, who as creator made the lamb, is also Jesus, who sacrificed his life to save mankind. Sheep today share this role, as at pass-over, Jewish people sacrifice a lamb. This comes from the story of Moses, the Israelites would not allow Jewish to be free, so God told Moses that every Islam family must sacrifice a lamb, and paint its blood over their door.

An angel sent by God, killed the first born son from every family without the blood painted on their door. This persuaded the Israelites to let the Jews go. This also refers to the vulnerability of the lamb. The poem is optimistic, with a sense of wonder. The lamb claims that he is a creation by God, 'He is called by thy name, For he calls himself a lamb'. 'The Tiger' is a popular children's poem which leaves an impact on readers.

The rhythm seizes attention immediately with the exciting and empathetic stress on the first of each pair of syllables, 'Tiger, Tiger, Burning bright'. The alliteration and the punctuation makes the poem powerful from the beginning. The poem has the rhythm of the hammer and spears, climaxing in the fourth verse, 'What the hammer? What the chain?', this shows the rage and the heat of God creating the tiger. It is described as a battle, 'What the anvil?

What dread grasp, dare its deadly terrors clasp?', which is effective imagery as we are forced to imagine God creating an immensely powerful creature. 'Did he who made the lamb make thee?', is direct juxtaposition, as the tiger is asking how can God make such an innocent mild lamb, and a fierce, strong tiger. Blake made etching to go with every poem in the series, the etching for 'The Tiger', is rather amusing as it visually looks like a soft calm tiger, this contrasts with the view of the poem, as the tiger Blake etched does not look as intense and powerful as suggested in the poem. This makes readers question Blakes experience of tigers. One thing that may strike readers when reading the selection of Blakes poems, is the apparent contrast between the simplicity of the songs of innocence, and the complexity of the other poems which provoke explanations from the critics.

The two poems share similar questioning and repetitions. This is about all the share as everything else is in complete contrast, like the power of the tiger, compared to the innocence of the lamb. Both poems express Blakes views on creation. I feel he believes lamb were created in heaven, whereas tigers were created in hell. It is clear that the lamb is not a simple animal, as it is linked with Jesus as the lamb of God, and as creator. It can be seen that the question in 'The Tiger', 'Did he who made the lamb make thee?', may not simply be pointing to two extremes of creation, but may be setting the concept of a ruthless creator God against that of a self sacrificing, loving God.