A child is speaking to a lamb in a meadow, asking a question full of wonder: who made you, with your soft wool, your tender voice that fills the valleys? The tone is calm and unhurried, as if the speaker is genuinely curious but already carries a quiet certainty. In the second stanza, the child answers his own question and tells the lamb that its maker is himself like a lamb—gentle, meek, and mild, a figure who became a little child. The speaker draws a simple, joyful parallel between himself, the animal, and Jesus. The whole poem feels like a lullaby or a sunlit afternoon conversation. There’s no doubt or fear here, only trust. Blake creates a world where innocence is its own kind of wisdom, and the natural world hums with sacred presence.
The Lamb — Summary
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!