The Lamb, also from Songs of Innocence also arguably reflects Blake’s religious views. The poem itself seems to be questioning the mystery of creation, ‘Little Lamb who made thee? / Dost thou know who made thee?’ It has a simple structure and uses uncomplicated language to convey a complex meaning. The tone is happy, which is enhanced by the rhyming couplets, although it is possible that this was intended to disguise Blake’s cynicism, again making the poem much more complex than it first seems.
Religious imagery is used again in this poem. The explicit reference to a lamb in the title immediately implies innocence, and, again, could be an indication of the sacrificial lambs of the bible. The protagonist seems to be addressing the lamb directly, although it is possible that Blake actually intended it to be and enlightening poem. The use of the pronoun ‘He’ could suggest that the lamb is Jesus, ‘He is meek and he is mild; He became a little child’, although it could too be symbolic of all children. It can be argued that Blake’s intention was to use biblical references to connect with all people, as, in the time of his writing, the church was far more prominent than it is today. Although this poem implicitly references the bible with the ‘lamb’, it could too simply be Blake’s way of criticising the Church’s treatment of innocent children. This being said, I feel it is possible that Blake did not intend to overtly portray his religious views in this poem.
The Divine Image, from Songs of Innocence uses anthropomorphism, the attribution of human characteristics to nonhuman things, to convey its religious content. The word ‘divine’ means ‘relating to Gods, gods, or goddesses’, again showing a specific religious reference. The poem seems to convey a message of God encompassing all that is positive, ‘For Mercy has a human heart, / Pity a human face’. It is possible that Blake intended this poem to contradict his other, more critical religious poems. Despite his spirituality, it would be feasible to view Blake as an atheist, because of his contempt for the church. This poem, therefore, is arguably the most accurate in showing his own religious beliefs, laid bare and free from criticism. The final stanza begins with the message ‘And all must love the human form, / In heathen, Turk or Jew’, which seems to be advocating compassion, although it is also plausible that Blake is begging the question - why single people out? This seems to add on Blake’s own interpretation of Christianity. Overall, the poem has a positive tone, as it suggests that all the divine qualities of ‘Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love’ are held by each individual and suggests, rather than pointing out negative qualities, that people are actually inherently good.
Blake also shows his religious views through his Songs of Experience, an example of this being A Little Boy Lost. Blake seems to grow increasingly negative in the Experience section of the collection. Blake uses the young boy as a symbol of free-thought, as he questions religion, ‘‘And father, how can I love you, / Or any of my brothers more?’’ Blake presents the church to be repressive, enforcing moral laws to the detriment of children. The title itself implies innocence, as ‘Little Boy’ suggests a naivety. Blake’s shows the church to be irrational, reacting to his innocent questioning in an over the top fashion. By the third stanza the imagery is very aggressive, ‘In trembling zeal he seized his hair’. I think it is possible that Blake uses the Priest to reflect upon the reader the attitudes of the society of the time he was writing. Priests would have generally been held in high esteem, so even the violence towards the child at the hands of the church is unlikely to have been questioned. Also, the binding imagery, ‘bound him in an iron chain’ suggests oppression and this is typical of Blake’s own beliefs. The tone is sarcastic at times, and ‘Priestly care’ seems to be and ironic statement.
Blake’s Songs of Experience contains a number of poems that mirror the ones from Innocence, Holy Thursday being an example of this. The language and imagery of this poem is much harsher than that of the Innocence poem. Blake is questioning life on earth, and the contrast between the second line of the poem and the final line of the second stanza, shows his contempt; ‘In a rich and fruitful land’...‘It is a land of poverty!’ The structure of this poem is also different to its counterpart, as the sentences are much shorter and many more questions are posed about society. Blake uses negative diction throughout, ‘Babes reduced to misery’ and ‘eternal winter’ being examples of this. The poem implies people living in unorganised innocence, passively accepting things that they believe they cannot change. This poem certainly seems to impose upon the reader Blake’s cynicism of organised religion and perhaps the passiveness of people, who fail to question religion, as shown also in A Little Boy Lost.
In conclusion, I think it is far to argue that Blake does use his poetry to reflect his own religious views and does this through his sarcasm and cynicism of the church. Arguably the poems in Experience show this more blatantly, as the imagery and diction becomes increasingly negative. The Songs of Experience do show his beliefs, but in a less aggressive way than the Songs of Experience. The impression I receive from the Songs is one of Blake’s distrust of the church, and of society, but a great belief and faith in God and the capacity of well-doing held by individuals. Religion is a prominent theme in the collection, but I feel that the tone is the most important technique he exercises, as it shows his sense of humour too.