the lamb

In the poem “The Lamb” by William Blake, Blake writes about a boy talking to
a little lamb and the boy is asking the lamb question about who made the lamb.
The poem “The lamb” creates a poetic tension between the natural lamb and the
supernatural lamb that reflects the Dionysian/Apollonian duality.
The poet creates poetic tension by constructing two opposite forces
 in a poem and contrasting them. Theses two forces can be defined as
 the Dionysian and Apollonian duality. According to Nietzsche the terms Dionysian
 and Apollonian were borrowed from the two art deities Apollo and Dionysus
of the Greeks. Apollonian represents the art of sculpture while
Dionysian represents the art of music. Both of these dualities run parallel to
each other and create tension in a poem when contrasted.
Blake is able to create a tension by comparing the natural lamb to
the supernatural lamb, which is Jesus. In the first stanza Blake writes
about the Dionysian aspect of the duality. The little boy asks the natural lamb
 if he knows who made the lamb “Little lamb who made thee? Dost thou know
who made thee?” After receiving no answer he proceeds to give characteristics
of the natural lamb. The boy gives characteristics such as “Gave thee clothing of
delight, softest clothing wooly bright;” and “ Gave thee such a tender voice,”
both of these characteristics are meant to make the natural lamb seem meek,
mild and innocent. After telling the lamb of its characteristics the boy goes on
to ask the lamb again who made the lamb “Little lamb, who made the?
Dost thou know who made thee?”