Perspectives

In this section, we will offer some context for the poem “The Lamb” by William Blake, giving you a better grasp of the author’s style, of texts with similar themes, and of the literary period in which the author wrote.

The literary period

William Blake was an English writer who wrote during the literary movement called Romanticism.

One of the Romantic features that can be found in “The Lamb” is the emphasis on emotions; the speaker is clearly emotional when he addresses the lamb, when he admires its looks, and when he focuses on the concepts of divinity and creation.

Another Romantic feature found in “The Lamb” is the focus on pastoral life, which generally presents the harmonious connection between shepherds, nature, and countryside. In Blake’s poem, the lamb is depicted in the middle of a pastoral landscape, near streams of water, meadows, and valleys. You should note that the Romantic interest in pastoral imagery can be seen as a reaction against industrialisation, which saw mechanisation and rapid urban growth, resulting in squalid living conditions, poverty, and pollution.

Finally, another feature of Romanticism that can be found in “The Lamb” is an interest in children. The poem is...