The Lamb, By: William Blake

Original
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!

First Impression
- The Lamb by William Blake is about a man asking the lamb who and how he was created. Furthermore, this poem is a contrast to The Tyger. At first, the man questions who gave the lamb the ability to live, to feed, and to have a tender voice. Finally, the man questions how the lamb obtains his name.

Paraphrased
Little Lamb, who made you?
Do you know who made you?
Gave you life, and gave you food,
By the stream and over the mead;
Gave you delightful clothing,
Clothes that are soft, woolly, and bright;
Gave you a tender voice,
Making everyone in the valley 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 his name,
He calls himself a lamb.
He is timid, and He is gentle;
He became a lost child.
You are a child, and a lamb,
We are called by his name.
Little Lamb, God bless you!
Little Lamb, God bless you!

Syntax and Word Choice
- The poem is broken into two stanzas with repetition. The word choice is basic. Some examples of Blake’s basic words are meek, woolly, and vales. Furthermore, Blake uses some Shakespeare words like thee, thou, and thy.
Imagery
- The main image in the poem is the coat of the lamb. Blake describes the coat as “Softest clothing, woolly, bright;” Blake makes the reference to the coat to show the purity and brightness of the lamb. Furthermore, the multiple questions that Blake poses mainly represents/relate to God or a higher being in the sky.
Figurative Language
- One use of figurative language is repetition. In the 2nd stanza, Blake repeats the line “Little Lamb, I'll tell thee, / Little Lamb, I'll tell thee.” Also, at the end of the poem, Blake repeats “Little Lamb, God bless thee! / Little Lamb, God bless thee! ”
Tone
- The tone of the play seems to amazed and fascinated. As the poem progresses, Blake becomes more fascinated about the beauty and nature of the lamb. One example of his tone is “Little Lamb, who made thee? / Dost thou know who made thee?”
Theme
- The theme of the poem can be the need for education. In the poem, Blake issues a need for the anatomy of the lamb. With all the questions asked, the reader can see that the main point for this poem is to figure out who made the lamb.

Conclusion
- My impression of the poem has not changed. However, after using SWIFTT, I was able to see the imagery of the lamb’s coat. Furthermore, I was able to answer the question of who made the lamb. Compared to The Tyger, Blake made The Lamb more light-hearted and just as well written as The Tyger.