God Speaks Through The Mouths Of Poets

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Recommended: Compare and contrast between William Blake and Wordsworth

God Speaks Through The Mouths Of Poets

Every poem has an element of God in it's words. Just as God spoke

through the writings of Peter or Matthew, elements of His word are in the

beautiful themes in poetry. In this essay, I will compare the poems of

William Blake and William Wordsworth with the written Word of God, in five

poems: The Lamb, The Chimney Sweeper, The Tyger, My Heart Leaps Up, and

London 1802. My aim is to show that the writings of great poets are truly

the words of God. Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made

thee? These begin the words of William Blake's The Lamb. Just as God asks

us, Blake questions our understanding of our creator. If we are seen as

the lambs of God, meek and tender, can we really understand the generosity

and glory of a God who gave us life? He did give us life, and Blake tells

us that we take this great gift for granted. So, he asks "Dost thou know

who made thee?" So God created man in His own image; in the image of God

he created him; male and female, He created them. Genesis 1:27 Anyone who

has seen a lamb knows that it is a weak creature; unable to protect it's

self from the strength of an evil predator. If we are the Lamb, then we

must rely on the protection of our Shepherd, God. Why would Blake call us

a Lamb then? Aren't we stronger than any other animal upon this earth? I

think that God would tell us "No," for it is He who gives us life strength,

as Blake says in the next few linesà Gave thee life & bid thee feed, By

the stream & o're the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest

clothing wooly bright, What strength could man have without the gifts of

God: life, food, clothing. We would have none! And Jesus said to them, "I

am the bread of life....

... middle of paper ...

... the scripture of the Bible, written 1800

years earlier, contain such similar meaning? Blake said, "The Jewish &

Christian Testaments are An original derivation from the Poetic Genius,"

in his essay All Religions Are One. Even a great poet, such as Blake,

admits that his words are not his own, they are the Lords of God, who

gifted him the talent. All poetry should be read, not just for it's beauty

and entertainment, but for it's special meaning delivered from God.

Reference:

Holy Bible, New King James Version. (c) 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 2 -- Fifth Edition (c)

1986 by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Witness Against The Beast, by: E.P. Thompson (c) 1983 by E.P.

Thompson The Theocritean Element in Wordsworth, by: Leslie Nathan

Broughton Written 1920, for the Graduate School of Cornell University

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