The Lamb Flashcards
How many stanzas does ‘The lamb’ Have?
2
What does the repetition in the first and last couplet of each stanza turn the lines into in ‘The lamb’?
A refrain
* makes its song-like
What do the soft ‘L’ sounds and soft vowel sounds contribute to in ‘The lamb’?
Bring forth the bleating of a lamb/ lispin of a child
* contributes to the child like rhythms
What does the lamb symbolise in ‘The lamb’?
- represents gods divine creation,
- jesus himself is described as the ‘lamb of god’ which reinforeces gods capacity for kindness
what does the lamb being vulnerbael symbolise in ‘The lamb’?
That god is also vulnerbale
What does the lamb showcase gods capacity for in ‘The lamb’?
That god is tender and gentle
What does the speaker find wonderfula botu the lamb in ‘The lamb’
That its very existence seems to celebrate gods powers
What form does ‘The lamb’ have? how many stanzas?
Simple form
* Two ten line stanzas
* frames the poem as a question in stanza one
* an answer in stanza two
What does the regular meter provide in ‘The lamb’?
That the poem is purposeful
* it give the poem an emphatic quality
What does the form represent in ‘The lamb’?
The form is symmetrical which represents the beauty and purposefulness of gods creations
Who is the speaker in ‘The lamb’?
Somone in awe of gods creations
Who does the speaker claim to be in ‘The lamb’?
A child
* chidhood is not a state of ignorance but rather wisdom
Who could the speaker really be in ‘The lamb’?
It could be that the speaker is not a child but rather someone who maintained a childlike mindset due to beleiveing in god
Summarise ‘The lamb’
*The poet speaks to the lamb, asking if it knows who is responsible for creating it
* he goes into detail about christ while using repetition to emphasise this
What is the setting of ‘The lamb’?
- Not a defined setting however there is descriptions of an idyllic pastoral scene
- not the industrial urban area blake criqtiques
What is the lambs natural environment linked to in ‘The lamb’?
happiness
(nature = happiness)
“he”, “he”, “he”, “i” “we”
*Pronouns
* emphasise gods importance
*didactic
“Little lamb ill tell thee
Little lamb ill tell thee”
- anaphora - answers question asked at the beginnign of stanza one
- emphasies the beauty that the speaker is filled with entusiasm for
- a revelation
- lambs are frequently used to symbolise sacrifise
What does ‘The lamb’ connect the lamb to?
Jesus christ
* symbolises humanity/purity
* message about how we are all apart of something bigger
“He callls himself a lamb
he is meek and mind”
- Alliteration - gentle and kind
- kesus being presented as a lamb contrsts with organised religion in other poems
What does blake present Jesus as in ‘The lamb’?
“meek and mild”
What is god often referred to as?
‘lamb of god’
“Gave thee suvh a tender voice
making all the vales rejoice”
- the lambs voice affects all of nature
- the child asked tha lamb who is made him whcih is repeated throughout the first stanza - this marks the childs innocence
- This is the first stage in blakes journey to the truthha
What does the speaker express throughout ‘the lamb’?
His love/appreciation for god
What is the purpose of ‘the lamb’?
To invite the audience to ‘use’ the image of the lamb as a means to question the creation of the universe
“Little lamb god bless thee
Little lamb god bless thee”
- Prosaic lexis - normal/mundane everyday language
- lyrical like a nursery rhyme to emphasises the speakers marvel
“By the stream and over the mead” and “vales rejoice”
- Patoral imagery
- converys the innocent links between beauty, nature and power
What are lambs associated with?
Spring = renewal and new year
What is present throughout ‘the lamb’
Pastoral imagery
“He became a little child”
*The lamb is vulnerble = god is therefore vulnerbale
* christ was a child when he first appeared on this earth as son of God
What is nature symbolic of?
The nature throughout ‘the lamb’ is symbol of the pure, gentleness it can bring through animals such as a lamb
What does easter symbolise?
The lamb, the resurrection and new beginnings
What does the lamb celebreate?
Gods powers
* it also showcases gods capacity for tenderness/gentleness
* blake’s idea of god was him as a loving father
What does the simplicity in ‘The lamb’ Represent?
the childs perspective that explores a deep question about life and creation
* makes it easy to realte to
What is the poem a reminder of?
Its a remider to those who are in the cyclical machine of the industrial relation that there is an innocent world still out there
“Little lamb who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee”
- Alliteration emphasises the innocence
- soft soothing ‘l’ = innocence
What does blake use the question of “little lamb who made thee” to reflect>
Uses it to reflect a man questioning the whole of creation
What does blake intend for the question “who made the”?
he intends it as a question he means to adreess all the people of his time, especially to those stuck in industrialisation or the travails of war
* he ist rying to remind them that innocence still ecists, we just need to allow ourselves to access it
What is an apostrophe?
Where the speaker talks to someone who cant respondq
What does the use of the apostrophe in ‘The lamb’ establish?
a reflective/ philosophical tone, it establishes a gpcis on the idea of creation
* creates a sense of wonder
“softest” “wooly” “tender”
Childlike innocence
What does ‘the lamb’ convey?>
The spirit of childhood
What does the refrain throighout ‘the lamb’ provide?
A nursery rhume
Provide an example of refrain in ‘the lamb’
“Little lamb”
What is the tone of ‘the lamb’
Gentle and comforting = a good poem for someone who needs comforting
