“The Lamb” is told from the perspective of a child speaking to a lamb. I thought it was really interesting to read a poem written by an adult man from a child’s perspective. This perspective seems somewhat problematic and ironic to me. The child first questions the lamb (using no questioning punctuation) in lines 1 and 2, and then answers his own question in lines 11 and 12. I found it difficult to imagine a child speaking to a lamb like this, and it was not until line 17, “I a child & thou a lamb” that I realized the speaker was even a child. I’m not sure what to make of this somewhat ironic perspective. I think maybe it could reflect a longing by Blake for the innocence and simplicity of childhood, but I’m not sure.
The child says to the lamb, “I a child & thou a lamb, \ We are called by this name” (17-18). These lines demonstrate the idea held by Christians that each individual is made in God’s likeness and his image. The child is equating himself and the lamb to Christ, which is such a beautiful insight for a child to have. This insight reflects the innocence of children and is a comforting idea that removes the child and the lamb from the imperfect world in which they reside. It’s lovely to think that a child would come up with such a profound idea, but I think this might again reflect a more complex longing for innocence in Blake himself.
When I read the poem, I was also taken aback as well at the narrator speaking eloquently in the mind of a child. I do think the child conversing to a lamb goes both ways in terms of perspectives – talking to a lamb that may not even be sapient (though sentient) is unusual, considering most conversations would typically revolve around other humans. I also think that the child may just be a particularly curious, confident, and observant one. You make a good point in how he already answers his own question by the end of the second paragraph, strongly implying he draws the connection between the Lamb and himself to Jesus Christ. Thinking about it more, I think it’s kind of heartwarming how much appreciation is given to an overlooked animal like the lamb, which drives the story home.