William Blake's "The Lamb" and Essay

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Blake instead chooses to call Him by the title which John the Baptist gave to him when he said, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29), setting off a long tradition of Jesus being identified as the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei). The title has reverberated throughout the centuries, appearing in the Mass: "Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis," as well as in song.

Blake, here, uses the title to gain traction with the child. The child's Maker, he says, is like him: He, too, was once a child, and even goes by the same name as that which the speaker has given the child: "He is called by thy name, / For he calls himself a Lamb. / He is meek, and he is mild; / He became a little child." Blake's poem is a poem of the Incarnation: it relates to the child the fact that his Maker became human.

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Of course, the poem does not go into very many of the details surrounding the Incarnation -- but for a child, it is enough information to dwell upon for a while. In fact, it is just the right amount. The speaker ends the poem with a prayer, "Little Lamb, God bless thee!" So not only has the speaker communicated a lesson, he has also prayed for the child.

In conclusion, Blake's "The Lamb" may be viewed as an exercise in the fulfillment of the Great Commission of Christ to go forth and teach all nations. While, of course, "The Lamb" is addressed only to a child, it can still be thought of as a catechetical aid -- for it alludes to the great mystery of the Incarnation and the fact of God's creation and personal interest in the lives of everyone of us -- and it does so in a way that is both compelling and easy to understand......

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