The Lamb

In traditional Christian symbology, the lamb represents Christ, emphasizing his innocence and purity. For instance, in the Gospel of John, the prophet John the Baptist announces the arrival of Christ by proclaiming, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Blake draws upon this biblical association in his poem, using the figure of the lamb to highlight the gentleness of the divine Creator. The poem’s first stanza lists the lamb’s attributes, from its “Softest clothing wooly bright” (Line 6) to its “tender voice” (Line 7). By assigning these welcoming characteristics to the lamb, Blake symbolically defines the nature of God as warm and tender. The reference to the lamb’s “tender voice” recalls the voice of Christ calling disciples to his flock. The lamb’s voice likewise “Mak[es] all the vales rejoice” (Line 8), evoking the joyful message of Christ proclaimed in the Gospels.

In addition to its associations as a gentle, pastoral creature, the lamb is traditionally known as a sacrificial animal. The ancient practice of animal sacrifice pervades the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, in which the sacrifice of a clean, pure animal (such as a lamb) symbolically makes atonement for sin.