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The Annotated Edition

The Lamb by William Blake

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

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A child asks a lamb who made it and then answers their own question: God did — the same God who refers to himself as "the Lamb of God" and came to earth as a child.

Poet
William Blake
Meter
trochaic tetrameter
Rhyme
AABBCCDDAA AABBCCDDAA
Themes
childhood, faith, identity
The PoemFull text

The Lamb

William Blake

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!

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A child asks a lamb who made it and then answers their own question: God did — the same God who refers to himself as "the Lamb of God" and came to earth as a child. The poem connects three elements — a lamb, a child, and Jesus Christ — illustrating that they all embody the same gentle spirit and share the same name. It's a straightforward, joyful tribute to innocence and the notion that the creator loves his creation.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Little Lamb, who made thee / Dost thou know who made thee,

    Editor's note

    The child speaker poses a question to the lamb that resembles a riddle: who created you? This repeated question isn’t just seeking an answer; it invites the lamb (and the reader) to share in a moment of wonder. The lamb’s soft wool, gentle voice, and freedom to graze by streams — these qualities highlight that whoever brought this creature into being did so with love and care.

  2. Little Lamb, I'll tell thee; / Little Lamb, I'll tell thee:

    Editor's note

    The child now responds to their own question with a quiet sense of assurance. The creator is Christ — known as the Lamb of God in Christian tradition, who was born as a human child, and who embodies the same meekness and gentleness as the lamb standing before the speaker. The connection is beautifully circular: the lamb, the child, and Jesus are all linked by the same name and the same innocence. The stanza concludes not with theology but with a blessing — warm, personal, and tender.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is gentle, curious, and warm throughout. Blake writes in a playful rhythm that resembles a nursery rhyme or a hymn a child might actually sing, which is precisely the point — this is innocence speaking, not a theologian. There's no darkness here, no irony. The poem exists completely within a feeling of trust and joy in the world.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The Lamb
The lamb has three intertwined meanings: it represents the actual animal grazing in a field, the innocent child speaker, and Jesus Christ (known as the Lamb of God in Christian scripture). Blake layers these meanings to demonstrate that innocence, creation, and the divine are all connected.
Woolly, bright clothing
The lamb's fleece is a gift—soft, bright, and delightful. It represents the thoughtful provision of a loving creator, suggesting that the world has been adorned with care rather than indifference.
The stream and the mead
The pastoral landscape — with its stream, meadow, and valleys — embodies innocence. It brings to mind the imagery from Psalm 23 ("He leadeth me beside still waters") and represents a world that feels safe, nurturing, and protected.
The child speaker
The child isn't merely a narrative tool. By having a child provide the theological answer, Blake suggests that divine truth is simple enough for a child to grasp — and that innocence is a way to be closer to God.
The name
The word 'name' shows up three times in the second stanza. In Blake's perspective, sharing a name signifies sharing a nature. The lamb, the child, and Christ are all referred to by the same name because they all represent the same quality: meekness, mildness, and innocence.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Meter
trochaic tetrameter
Rhyme
AABBCCDDAA AABBCCDDAA

§07Historical context

Historical context

Blake published "The Lamb" in *Songs of Innocence* in 1789, the same year the French Revolution began. The collection seeks to express the essence of childhood innocence—not merely as naivety but as a profound spiritual state. Although Blake identified as a Christian, he held unconventional views, often questioning organized religion and institutional authority. In *Songs of Innocence*, the world is portrayed through the eyes of those untouched by cruelty or hypocrisy. "The Lamb" is paired with "The Tyger," which Blake published five years later in *Songs of Experience*. This companion poem poses the same "who made thee?" question about a fearsome predator, compelling readers to grapple with the tension between a gentle God and a brutal world. Together, these two poems form two halves of Blake's vision of existence.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

The poem expresses that innocence, childhood, and Christ all reflect the same gentle spirit. The creator lovingly made the lamb and chose to embody both a child and a lamb — showing that creation is intertwined with identification and love.

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