Body paragraph III: Contrast with Tyger
A. Ironically, the lion is "commonly known as the protector of the Lamb," (Damon & Eaves 242).
B. The lion is "often associated with the Tyger, for they are both forms of wrath: the lion is spiritual wrath, inspired by pity…while the Tyger's blind wrath is purely emotional," (all Damon & Eaves 242)
C. Although the motif of a lion laying down with the lamb does not actually occur in the Bible, the image has become part of common Christian consciousness and thus Blake does connect the Lion/Tyger with the Lamb in the Songs of Innocence and Experience.
V. Conclusion
B. Christian symbolism pervades the poem, and also its counterpart "The Tyger."
C. Blake is not making a statement about belief in Christianity per se, so much as he uses his poetry to convey the dualism inherent in the religion.
Works Cited
Blake, William. "The Lamb."
Damon, Samuel Foster and Eaves, Morris. A Blake dictionary: the ideas and symbols of William Blake. Brown University, 1988.
Frye, Northrop. Fearful Symmetry: A Study of William Blake. Princeton, 1969.
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