Is “The Lamb” by Sir John Tavener Really a Christmas Song?

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Is “The Lamb” by Sir John Tavener really a Christmas song? Actually no, although it is often performed in the context of Christmas, and does include a reference to the incarnation of Christ. If you remember your English lit. class, you'll know that William Blake, who wrote the words, was an early Romantic mystic. He claimed to have had visions from age four onwards and and was actually more interested in his art than his poetry. He and his wife put out an illustrated edition of some of his poems and hand colored each page. “The Lamb” is from his poetry collection Songs of Innocence. It seems like a simple little ditty, almost a child's poem, until you look at it closely. A literal lamb is asked if he knows who made him. The answer is that someone who “calls himself a Lamb” did so. And this person also “became a little child,” so there's the Christmas idea. Both the literal lamb and the speaker in the poem (who calls himself a child) are called lambs also (“called by his name”), which I assume refers to the idea of Christ the Good Shepherd with his flock. So a beautiful circularity of ideas is developed: the literal lamb-->the Lamb of God -->the holy Child-->his human lambs-->the literal lamb. Blake apparently wanted his Songs to be sung, not read, but his original melody is now lost. Ralph Vaughn Williams (and Allen Ginsberg(!) both composed music for the poem. Sir John Tavener said of what we're singing that "'The Lamb' came to me fully grown and was written in an afternoon and dedicated to my nephew Simon for his 3rd birthday." The piece has enjoyed great success, which it certainly deserves. © 2017 Debi Simons www.behind-the-music.com.

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Introduction
Introduction The notes which follow are intended for study and revision of a selection of Blake's poems. About the poet William Blake was born on 28 November 1757, and died on 12 August 1827. He spent his life largely in London, save for the years 1800 to 1803, when he lived in a cottage at Felpham, near the seaside town of Bognor, in Sussex. In 1767 he began to attend Henry Pars's drawing school in the Strand. At the age of fifteen, Blake was apprenticed to an engraver, making plates from which pictures for books were printed. He later went to the Royal Academy, and at 22, he was employed as an engraver to a bookseller and publisher. When he was nearly 25, Blake married Catherine Bouchier. They had no children but were happily married for almost 45 years. In 1784, a year after he published his first volume of poems, Blake set up his own engraving business. Many of Blake's best poems are found in two collections: Songs of Innocence (1789) to which was added, in 1794, the Songs of Experience (unlike the earlier work, never published on its own). The complete 1794 collection was called Songs of Innocence and Experience Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. Broadly speaking the collections look at human nature and society in optimistic and pessimistic terms, respectively - and Blake thinks that you need both sides to see the whole truth. Blake had very firm ideas about how his poems should appear. Although spelling was not as standardised in print as it is today, Blake was writing some time after the publication of Dr.
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William Blake (1757-1827)
William Blake (1757-1827) Poet, Painter, & Printer A radical thinker (called insane by some) with a strong interest in religion, albeit not orthodox religion. • Published together in 1794. • The Songs of Experience are darker, and often echo the Songs of Innocence in contrast. For example, Songs of Innocence contains “The Lamb” & Songs of Experience includes “The Tyger.” • The work reflects the period’s interest in childhood, nostalgia, and transformation (going from one state of being to another). It also shows some attention to those suffering in the midst of the industrial revolution. THE TYGER Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps or skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand, dare sieze the fire? And what shoulder, & what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand? & what dread feet? What the hammer? what the chain, In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? what dread grasp, Dare its deadly terrors clasp! When the stars threw down their spears And water'd heaven with their tears: Did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the Lamb make thee? Tyger,Tyger burning bright, In the forests of the night: What immortal hand or eye, Dare frame thy fearful symmetry? A few thoughts Blake’s Tyger brings to mind: • People view things from their own perspective. • What people say (and how they say it) often says more about themselves than what they mean to say.
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The Politics of Abstraction: Race, Gender, and Slavery in the Poetry of William Blake
University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 8-2006 The Politics of Abstraction: Race, Gender, and Slavery in the Poetry of William Blake Edgar Cuthbert Gentle University of Tennessee, Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Gentle, Edgar Cuthbert, "The Politics of Abstraction: Race, Gender, and Slavery in the Poetry of William Blake. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2006. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/4508 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Edgar Cuthbert Gentle entitled "The Politics of Abstraction: Race, Gender, and Slavery in the Poetry of William Blake." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Master of Arts, with a major in English. Nancy Goslee, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: ARRAY(0x7f6ff8e21fa0) Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I amsubmitting herewith a thesis written by EdgarCuthbert Gentle entitled"The Politics of Abstraction: Race,Gender, and Slavery in the Poetryof WilliamBlake." I have examinedthe finalpaper copy of this thesis forform and content and recommend that it be acceptedin partialfulfillm ent of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, with a major in English.
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A Comparison Between the Lamb and the Tyger by William Blake Why Is
A comparison between The Lamb and The Tyger by William Blake Why is the Lamb not like the Tyger? The Lamb • Sycophantic tone • Almost patronising • Biblical references; The Beatitudes – ‘He is meek and he is mild’, from ‘Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth’, and ‘Blessed are mild men’ ‐ This could perhaps be Blake’s way of showing how the Lamb is blessed, it is special, to be revered. • Innocence is heavily referred to – obviously with regards to the Title of the Selection of poems. ‘Little Lamb who made thee?’ • Repetition of the ‘L’ sounds representing the bleating of the Lamb. The Tyger • Such a powerful creature. • Religion, though it seems out of place with the main subject of a Tiger. – Referencing the use of the almost archaic term ‘Thy’, a term most commonly found in religious text, therefore can be deemed quasi‐religious. Intertextuality. • The aesthetics of the creature are astonishing, awe‐inspiring. The power of the creature is shown through its physicality. • Choice of a Tiger instead of a Lion. ‘And the lion shall lie down with the lamb’. Decision to be a contrast from the Bible, perhaps accentuating Blake’s lost deference towards the religious text. • Devilish imagery. A comparison The Tyger is the experience – the loss of innocence that the Lamb seems to personify. The choice of the ‘Little Lamb’ can, of course, be in reference to Jesus who was referred to as ‘The Lamb of God’. Again, accentuating the quasi‐religious element in the poetry. The Tyger seems to show that evil is unavoidable – inscrutable – complex.
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The Lamb Ia Child & Thou a Lamb
The Lamb BY WILLIAM BLAKE Litle Lamb who made thee Dost thou know who made thee Gave thee life & bid thee feed. By the strecam & o'er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing wooly 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 meck & he is mild, He became a little child: Iachild & thou a lamb. We are called by his name. Little Lamb God bless thee. Little Lamb God bless thee. edited David E. Erdman (Anchor Books, 1988) Source: The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake, by The Lamb William Blake The speaker directly addresses a lamb, asking it if it knows who created it, who gave it life and invited it to eat. The lamb is then described in its natural environment, frolicking beside streams and running through fields. Whoever made the lamb also gave it its coat, which is made out of soft white wool. The lamb's gentle noises, according to the speaker, make the surrounding valleys happy. The speaker then asks again: Who made the lamb? In the second stanza, the speaker excitedly offers to tell the lamb the answer. The creator has the same name as the lamb, and indeed calls himself "Lamb." This creator is gentle and kind, and he was once a small child. The speaker, too, is a child, and both the speaker and the lamb share the name of their creator.
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Year 8 Spring Term English School Booklet
Module 2 Year 8: Romantic Poetry Songs of Innocence and Experience, William Blake Name: Teacher: 1 The Industrial Revolution Industrial An industrial system or product is one that He rejected all items made using industrial (adjective) uses machinery, usually on a large scale. methods. Natural Natural things exist or occur in nature and She appreciated the natural world when she left (adjective) are not made or caused by people. the chaos of London. William Blake lived from 28 November 1757 until 12 August 1827. At this time, Britain was undergoing huge change, mainly because of the growth of the British Empire and the start of the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was a time when factories began to be built and the country changed forever. The countryside, natural and rural settings were particularly threatened and many people did not believe they were important anymore because they wanted the money and the jobs in the city. The population of Britain grew rapidly during this period, from around 5 million people in 1700 to nearly 9 million by 1801. Many people left the countryside to seek out new job opportunities in nearby towns and cities. Others arrived from further away: from rural areas in Ireland, Scotland and Wales, for example, and from across large areas of continental Europe. As cities expanded, they grew into centres of pollution and poverty. There were good things about the Industrial Revolution, but not for the average person – the rich factory owners and international traders began to make huge sums of money, and the gap between rich and poor began to widen as a result.
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Microfilms Internationa! 300 N
INFORMATION TO USERS This was produced from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or “target” for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is “Missing Page(s)”. If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure you of complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a round black mark it is an indication that the film inspector noticed either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, or duplicate copy. Unless we meant to delete copyrighted materials that should not have been filmed, you will find a good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., is part of the material being photo graphed the photographer has followed a definite method in “sectioning” the material. It is customary to begin filming at the upper left hand comer of a large sheet and to continue from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. If necessary, sectioning is continued again—beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. For any illustrations that cannot be reproduced satisfactorily by xerography, photographic prints can be purchased at additional cost and tipped into your xerographic copy.
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"The Tyger": Genesis & Evolution in the Poetry of William Blake
"The Tyger": Genesis & Evolution in the Poetry of William Blake Author(s): PAUL MINER Source: Criticism, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Winter 1962), pp. 59-73 Published by: Wayne State University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23091046 Accessed: 20-06-2016 19:39 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Wayne State University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Criticism This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Mon, 20 Jun 2016 19:39:44 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms PAUL MINER* r" The TygerGenesis & Evolution in the Poetry of William Blake There is the Cave, the Rock, the Tree, the Lake of Udan Adan, The Forest and the Marsh and the Pits of bitumen deadly, The Rocks of solid fire, the Ice valleys, the Plains Of burning sand, the rivers, cataract & Lakes of Fire, The Islands of the fiery Lakes, the Trees of Malice, Revenge And black Anxiety, and the Cities of the Salamandrine men, (But whatever is visible to the Generated Man Is a Creation of mercy & love from the Satanic Void). (Jerusalem) One of the great poetic structures of the eighteenth century is William Blake's "The Tyger," a profound experiment in form and idea.
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AN UNPUBLISHED POEM ABOUT BLAKE by WILLIAM BELL SCOTT April and July 1825
MINUTE PARTICULAR An Unpublished Poem nbout Blnke by Willinm Bell Scott George Goyder Blnke/An Illustrnted Qunrterly, Volume 10, Issue 4, Spring 1977, p. 125 125 UNNOTICED PRINTINGS OF BLAKE'S POEMS, March 1846. "The Lamb" from Innocence was printed in The Little Truth-Teller: A New Church 1825-1851 Magazine for Children, 1 (Philadelphia: Published by a Committee of the General Convention, 1846), 71. RAYMOND H. DECK, JR. January 1848. "Night" from Innocence was printed in The New Church Magazine for Children, 6 (Boston: I have discovered several printings of Blake's poems, Otis Clapp, 1848), 17-18. two of which are of particular interest because they occurred during the poet's lifetime. The texts of September 1851. "The Human Form" (i.e. "The these poems and the circumstances of their printings Divine Image" from Innocence) was printed in Heat are discussed in articles about C. A. Tulk, Blake's and Light for the Nineteenth Century, 1, No. 1 (Boston: Swedenborgian patron, and about Pamela Chandler Otis Clapp, September 1851), 32. Colman which I am now preparing for publication. The article about Mrs. Colman, complete with her Victorian illustrations of Blake's poems, will ap- pear in a future number of Blake Newsletter. AN UNPUBLISHED POEM ABOUT BLAKE BY WILLIAM BELL SCOTT April and July 1825. "The Divine Image" and "On Another's Sorrow" from Innocence were printed in The GEORGE GOYDER Dawn of Light and Theological Inspector, "Complete in One Volume" (London: Thomas Goyder, 1825), pp. 1 144, 252. My copy of the 1808 quarto edition of Blair's Grave is the original subscriber's copy which belonged to July and August 1843.
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The Four Zoas Vala
THE FOUR ZOAS The torments of Love & Jealousy in The Death and Judgement of Albion the Ancient Man by William Blake 1797 Rest before Labour For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6: 12; King James version) VALA Night the First The Song of the Aged Mother which shook the heavens with wrath Hearing the march of long resounding strong heroic Verse Marshalld in order for the day of Intellectual Battle Four Mighty Ones are in every Man; a Perfect Unity John XVII c. 21 & 22 & 23 v Cannot Exist. but from the Universal Brotherhood of Eden John I c. 14. v The Universal Man. To Whom be Glory Evermore Amen και. εςηνωςεν. ηµιν [What] are the Natures of those Living Creatures the Heavenly Father only [Knoweth] no Individual [Knoweth nor] Can know in all Eternity Los was the fourth immortal starry one, & in the Earth Of a bright Universe Empery attended day & night Days & nights of revolving joy, Urthona was his name In Eden; in the Auricular Nerves of Human life Which is the Earth of Eden, he his Emanations propagated Fairies of Albion afterwards Gods of the Heathen, Daughter of Beulah Sing His fall into Division & his Resurrection to Unity His fall into the Generation of Decay & Death & his Regeneration by the Resurrection from the dead Begin with Tharmas Parent power. darkning in the West Lost! Lost! Lost! are my Emanations Enion O Enion We are become a Victim to the Living We hide in secret I have hidden Jerusalem in Silent Contrition O Pity Me I will build thee a Labyrinth also O pity me O Enion Why hast thou taken sweet Jerusalem from my inmost Soul Let her Lay secret in the Soft recess of darkness & silence It is not Love I bear to [Jerusalem] It is Pity She hath taken refuge in my bosom & I cannot cast her out.
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William Blake ( 1757-1827)
William Blake ( 1757-1827) "And I made a rural pen, " "0 Earth. 0 Earth, returnl And I stained the water clear, "Arise from out the dewy grass. And J wrote my happy songs "Night is worn. Every child may joy to hear." "And the mom ("Introduction". Songs of Innocence) "Rises from the slumberous mass." ("Introduction''. Songs of Experience! 19 Chapter- 2 WILLIAM BLAKE "And I made a rural pen, And I stain'd the water clear, And I wrote my happy songs Every child may joy to hear. "1 "Then come home, my children, the sun is gone down, And the dews of night arise; Your spring and your day are wasted in play, · And your winter and night in disguise. "1 Recent researches have shown the special importance and significance of childhood in romantic poetry. Blake, being a harbinger of romanticism, had engraved childhood as a state of unalloyed joy in his Songs of Innocence. And among the romantics, be was perhaps the first to have discovered childhood. His inspiration was of course the Bible where he had seen the image of the innocent, its joy and all pure image of little, gentle Jesus. That image ignited the very ·imagination of Blake, the painter and engraver. And with his illuntined mind, he translated that image once more in his poetry, Songs of Innocence. Among the records of an early meeting of the Blake Society on 12th August, 1912 there occurs the following passage : 20 "A pleasing incident of the occasion was the presence of a very pretty robin, which hopped about unconcernedly on the terrace in front of the house and among the members while the papers were being read..
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English Transcript)
Guerilla Opera Podcast Season3, Episode 1 SONGS OF INNOCENCE (English Transcript) Hi, Guerillas! I’m Aliana de la Guardia, Co-Artistic Director and ensemble member for Guerilla Opera. Today we’re bringing you a digital concert, a little different than our usual opera productions. As you know, during this time, we can’t physically get together to share world premieres of our unique new operas with you, but we can bring you music and poetry that’s meaningful to us as artists. April is national poetry month, so we’re featuring a selection of poetry and music paired together from Songs of Innocence by William Blake and from 44 Duets for Two Violins by Béla Bartók played by our ensemble member Lilit Hartunian. As I was reading through the Songs of Innocence I remembered jogging through Winnekenni Park and noticed the playground was covered with police tape, so children won’t play on the jungle-gym. To me this felt very heavy, and although we were already in isolation for a week or more, it made our circumstances feel that much more real and severe. So I’ve selected the poems that brought me joy to read, and that’s why I want to share them with you now. Lilit selected her favorite movements from these 44 Duos for Two Violins by composer, Bela Bartók. Bartók collected all of these folk melodies by traveling around Romania and Hungary, so they have this same pastoral, country feel. The story goes that he heard an old woman singing a folk song in his early 20s, and was so taken by it, that he became obsessed with traveling and recording all of these folk songs on an Edison phonograph so they would be preserved.
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