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Maria Bala
Augustine/Brown
Humanities 10
January 27, 2012
Faith is a Prayer That Which Heaven Answers
“For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them
unto living fountains of water; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Revelation
7:17) This quote from the Bible is about the Lamb who leads his faithful people out of turmoil,
as God relieves them of their sorrows. In “The Lamb” by Linda Gregg, this famous motif is
keenly portrayed throughout the entire poem. The main theme of the poem is that, in times of
extreme suffering, faith is what helps us continue to thrive. Linda Gregg uses enjambment,
imagery, and symbolism, to reinforce this theme. The poem’s creative structure, clever word
choices, and rhythmic lines also contribute to its sorrowful, yet hopeful tone.
Before analyzing the poem’s underlying message and how it creates that impression, it is
important to consider its basic meaning. When translated into prose, the poem says: I had a
picture of the after-math of the war. The picture was that of a bombed English church. I was too
young too know the word English or war, but I understood the picture. The ruined city was still
noble and the cathedral was not less divine. The church looked the same, and so did the rain and
sky. Birds flew in and out of the holes that God’s fist made in the walls. Our dreams of finding
love and having children are ridiculed by the enemy. I knew this, but I continued to sing, and I
held on to my faith, like a bird that will sing until it is shot down and killed. When they take
everything away from us, the child picks up a stick and imagines that it is everything we once
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had, like a tree, a home, and a family. Through a door of what used to be house, into a field of
rubble, walks a single lamb, tilting its head, curious, unafraid, and hungry. The title “The Lamb”
suggests a deeper meaning that compels us to focus on that animal and its significance in the
poem. In Christianity, the lamb is not just a cute, fluffy animal, but it’s also an image of one of
the most powerful beings who ever lived: Jesus Christ. He is the Prince of Peace, which is what
the lamb symbolizes. The lamb also represents gentleness, innocence, and goodness –traits that
accurately portray the divine figure of Jesus Christ. Jesus was called the Lamb of God because
He is what God sacrificed to save his people from their sins. This embellishes the meaning of the
poem and suggests that, because of the strong faith of the narrator, God sent a lamb, which
symbolically represents the beginning of the world’s restoration. Since the picture that was
mentioned in the poem takes place in England, this interpretation makes more sense due to the
fact that Christianity is the country’s main religion. By interpreting the poem and its title more
religiously, its meaning deepens, since a significant subject in the poem is faith.
Aside from the title, the author uses a variety of literary devices to strengthen the
message of her poem and to give emphasis on its tone and the theme. One of these devices is
enjambment, which is a run-on line that carries on to the next line. One example of enjambment
is, “I was too you/to know the word English or war,” (Lines 2-3) The use of enjambment in these
two sentences lets the reader make their own inference as to what will happen in the rest of the
sentence. The last word without the end mark, which, in this case, is “young” produces an air of
expectation for the reader, and this delay draws their attention. Another example of this literary
device is “Birds flew in and out/of the holes God’s fist made in the walls.” (Lines 8-9) This
literary device softens the poem and relaxes the tension to make it smoother and
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more integrated; As a result, it emphasizes the solemn tone of the young girl who lost everything
from of the war. “Like a bird who will sing until/it is brought down,” (Lines 13-14) is another
example of enjambment. The soft intonation of the two lines, combined with the confident
diction of the narrator, creates a hopeful atmosphere. Enjambment implements the narrator’s
sadness from her loss, but also her continuous optimism that accompanies her undying faith.
Another literary device that the poet uses to support the tone and mood is imagery. Ms.
Gregg uses a special kind of imagery called ekphrasis where she describes a visual work of art to
produce a more realistic mood. In the beginning of the poem, we are introduced to a picture she
had after the war, which is the work of art she describes throughout the rest of the poem that
creates a deeper emotional connection with the reader. “A bombed English church,” (Line 2)
“The ruined city,” (Line 5) “the cathedral with its roof blown off,” (Line 6) and birds flying in
and out “of the holes God’s fist made in the walls,” (Line 9) all deliver a melancholy mood.
These depressing images give us a feeling of loss, which makes us sympathetic for the narrator.
Yet, the poet describes the ruined city as “noble”, and the cathedral as “godly”, which means she
sees some goodness left behind after the destruction, and this supports her hopeful and steadfast
tone. She also describes a bird singing, and this sound contributes to her optimistic attitude. It
allows us to realize that, even after a brutal war, there is a chance of recovery, the chance at a
new life, as long as we have faith. Throughout the entire poem, these detailed visuals enhance
the tone, mood, and theme of the poem because we can actually “see” what is going on and feel
what she feels.
Maybe the most important literary device in this poem is symbolism because without it,
the abstract meaning of the poem would be absent. “The Lamb” is profoundly religious, and its
symbols represent several spiritual ideas connected to the poem’s subject of faith. The first
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example of symbolism in this poem is the bird. “I knew so much and sang anyway. Like a bird
who will sing until it is brought down.” (Lines 12-14) In this text, the bird not only symbolizes
her soaring hope, but the fact that she is singing like a bird implies that she is praying, since
flying birds represent the bond between Heaven and Earth. This idea enriches the confident and
hopeful attitude of the poem. Another example of this literary device is the child. “When they
take away the trees, the child picks up a stick and says, this is a tree, this the house, and the
family.” (Lines 14-17) The child represents undying faith because, even though the enemies have
taken away everything they have, the child is resolutely ready to rebuild what she lost. This
conveys strength in times of great struggle. The last and most important symbol in the poem is
the lamb, which symbolizes the Prince of Peace, or Jesus Christ. “Through a door/of what had
ben a house, into the field/of rubble, walks a single lamb, tilting/its head, curious, unafraid,
hungry.” (Lines 17-20) In biblical stories, God sent Jesus, the Lamb of God, to Earth, in order to
relieve the people of their sins and to guide them out of turmoil. Jesus was called the Lamb
because God sacrificed him in order to save people from their iniquities. That is why the lamb is
such an important aspect of this poem –because, when the lamb enters the house after the war, it
denotes the idea that the people were about to find peace and solace. The lamb also symbolizes
Jesus overcoming his death when he rose from the dead. The poem is saying that the city had a
chance of rising up, again. So, even though this poem has a solemn tone, justice and peace are
achieved in the end. Additionally, the fact that the lamb is “curious, unafraid, and hungry”
expresses the idea that peace is longing to be fulfilled. Without this important interpretation, the
meaning of the poem would be depleted, and the inspirational message would be absent.
The poem’s insightful language, elegant structure, and rhythmic lines emphasize its
longing tone, ardent mood, and inspirational theme more effectively. There is a pattern in the
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sentences where the description of an unpleasant scene is counteracted by a more favorable
outlook. For example, the poem said that the ruined city and the roofless cathedral still seemed
noble and godly, even after the destructive war. Moreover, when the enemy ridiculed the desire
for love and children, the narrator “sang anyway.” (Line 12) The poet saw the town as a noble
place, rather than a place of destruction and violence. Her inventive use of words also made her
sound like an innocent child, which established a sense of endless hope and longing. The
structure of the poem enhanced its effectiveness in portraying an ardent mood. There was only
one stanza, and this made ideas flow harmoniously. The rhythmic lines follow an iamb, which
builds the intensity of each line. The beats are forceful, yet gentle due to the use enjambment,
thus producing a calming effect.
Without enjambment, imagery, and symbolism, “The Lamb” would not have been nearly
as effective in conveying a sense of passionate hopefulness in the midst of mournful loss.
Furthermore, Linda Gregg’s effective poem structure, engaging speech, and smooth intonation
are all conducive in delineating the idea that faith is what strengthens us in times of great
suffering and distress. With all of these elements considered, it is evident that Linda Gregg
constructed the poem’s lines thoughtfully and meticulously chose each word to convey an
uplifting message about faith that makes “The Lamb” so inspirational.