The Lamb by William Blake

Text:

Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Gave thee life, and bid thee feed,
By the stream and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, woolly, 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, and He is mild;
He became a little child.
I a child, and thou a lamb,
We are called by His name.
Little Lamb, God bless thee!
Little Lamb, God bless thee!

Initial Response:

            When reading “Lamb” I knew that the poem would have some reference to God/ I also assumed that, just by glancing, that the theme of this poem would be quite easy to identify, as the poem does not usher allusions, and complex metaphors and similes.  

Paraphrase:

Little Lamb, do you know who created you?
Do you know who made you?
Who gave you life, and gave you food,
By the water that runs over the mead;
Gave you warm, comfortable clothes,
Clothes that are soft, wooly, and bright;
Who gave you such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little Lamb, who made you?
Do you know who made you?

Little Lamb, I'll tell you,
Little Lamb, I'll tell you.
He is called by a name,
He calls Himself a Lamb.
He is meek and mild;
He became a little child.
I am a child, and you are a lamb,
We are called by His name.
Little Lamb, God bless you!
Little Lamb, God bless you!

SWIFTT
    {SW}SYNTAX/ Word Choice:
             Written as a song-esq poem, “The Lamb” contains many repetitions, along with a bright selection of word choice. In the first stanza, the phrase “who made thee” is repeated in the first two lines in the stanza, and the last two. In the second stanza, the line, “Little Lamb, God Bless thee” is repeated in the first two and last two lines in the poem. With lines such as, Softest clothing, woolly, bright; Gave thee such a tender voice,” the poem also has a touch of brightness.

     {I}Imagery:
              In this poem, you not only see the imagery of the sheep, like in the lines “ Gave thee clothing of delight,” but you also see imagery toward the landscape around the lamb such as the water and food.   
     {F}Figurative Language:
              The poem displays traits of personification, if the poem is analyzed as another sheep talking to another sheep.  Additionally, the use of alliteration can be seen in the phrase “little Lamb,” which is repeated throughout the poem.
     {T}Tone:
               Written in question and answer form, Blake uses child-esq diction which provides a soothing flow. Additionally there were some spiritual moments.
     {T}Theme:
                The theme of “The Lamb” is to be thankful for everything you have, and to always thank God for providing you with the necessities. It also emphasizes that God is good and kind, and he loves and takes care of his creation. This is evident in lines such as, “He is meek, and He is mild.”
      

Conclusion:
            My concluding thoughts an initial thought are similar, as the poem alludes to God, and the gifts he has provided to humans. Additionally, the lamb also alludes to Jesus, symbolizing innocence  and purity.