Lamb vs The Tyger
The Lamb and The Tyger In the poems “The Lamb” and “The Tyger,” William Blake uses symbolism, tone, and rhyme to advance the theme that God can create good and bad creatures. The poem “The Lamb” was in Blake’s “Songs of Innocence,” which was published in 1789. “The Tyger,” in his “Songs of Experience,” was published in 1794. ... In “The Lamb,” Blake uses the symbol of the lamb to paint a picture of innocence. The lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ. The lamb is also a symbol of life. ... The line “For he calls himself a Lamb” is a line that Jesus himself has used (Blake 538). A lamb is a very meek and mild creature, which could be why Blake chose to use this animal to describe God’s giving side. ... In “The Tyger,” William Blake takes the opposite position he did in “The Lamb.” In “The Tyger,” Blake shows the God has created a sort of evil creature in the tiger. ... In line twenty of “The Tyger,” William Blake says, “Did He who make the lamb make thee? ... What he is wondering is if he made such an innocent creature like the lamb how could he make a beast like the tiger? ... “The Lamb” could be read as a nursery rhyme to little children. The persona of this poem is one of a little child talking to a lamb. The persona of “The Lamb” is shown in line seventeen, “I a child, and thou a lamb.” The persona helps Blake to show that God made such a harmless creature like the lamb and such a pure child.