Songs of Innocence

THE SHEPHERD

This poem smoothly follows ‘The Lamb’, allowing Blake to joke that the shepherd
shall follow his sheep’. Blake’s depiction of the shepherd, as for the lamb and lion, is
based on biblical sources. The Shepherd is another central symbol in the Bible canon
and in the ‘Songs’.

There are many biblical references in this

poem:
- The figure of the shepherd represents
protection. In the Old Testament, God is
frequently referred to as the shepherd of
the people of Israel.
- The Jewish King David began life as a
shepherd boy before his defeat of the
giant Goliath His famous Psalm 23,
which begins ‘The Lord is my
shepherd…’ uses the imagery of
shepherding.
- Shepherds were among the first to
witness the birth of Christ at Bethlehem.
- Christ tells the famous parable of the
Good Shepherd (John 10) to express his
relationship with his followers.
- The image implies an intimate and
knowing relationship between the
shepherd and his sheep. The shepherd
would gain the rust of his sheep by
protecting them from predators (1
Samuel 17:34-336) ad would walk with
them, leading them to safety and new
pastures.

As in ‘The Lamb’, the reader is presented with an idyllic world. The use of the word
‘strays’ suggests a carefree existence, which allows the shepherd the time and space to
praise his maker. Blake studiously avoids any but the most assign suggestion of
trouble. This is an image of happy intimacy between the sheep and the shepherd,
which mirrors that between God and Christian believers.

The poem also recalls a parenting theme. At the beginning of stanza two the leader is
presented with an ideal relationship between parent and child; ‘For he hears the
lamb’s innocent call,/ And he hears the ewe’s tender reply.’ This image of unity
contrasts strongly with the images of separation found in the earlier poems.

SOURCE: AS/A-Level Student Text Guide, Phillip Allan

This poem appears simple. It tells of a Shepherd who cares for his flock, and the poem
only includes positive language about the relationship between shepherd and sheep.
He follows his sheep ‘all the day’, he ‘hears’ everything and is ‘watchful’. The flock
is ‘innocent’, ‘tender’ and ‘in peace’. The Shepherd’s presence gives them this
‘peace’, while their innocence affects him by giving him a ‘sweet’ life, and filling his
tongue with ‘praise’. The dependent and caring inter-relationship of shepherd and
sheep seems idyllic, then.

There are two places in this poem where some slight uncertainty is left hanging,
however. First, in line 4 we are told that the Shepherd’s ‘tongue’ is ‘filled with
praise’, but we are not told whether he praises the sheep, or God. As in ‘Introduction’,
Christian symbols are called to mind by this poem: the Shepherd himself, with his
watchful and loving role, can be seen as symbolic of God; and no higher or divine
power is mentioned in the poem. So we are left uncertain whether the Shepherd
praises himself, his ‘sweet’ lot in life, or the innocence and tenderness of his flock.

Secondly, the final two lines are linked by the logical conjunction ‘For’, which
proposes a conditional relationship between the flock’s ‘peace’ and the Shepherd
being present. As with the word ‘rural’ in ‘Introduction’, this statement implies that, a
time may come when the Shepherd is not there and the flock will consequently not be
at peace. Similarly, ‘day’ implies ‘night’, and we notice that the Shepherd’s watchful
care is only specified as lasting ‘all the day’. By implication, the flock may be
deserted and terrified at night.

Predominantly, the poem presents an idyllic picture. However, as we become more

used to Blake’s recurrent references to mornings, day and evening in this collection
the implication that there is a dark and frightening future night, just outside
‘Innocence’ and threatening its peace, gains power and presence – even while the
world of ‘Innocence’ itself is idyllic.

‘The Shepherd’ is written in regular anapaests, a metre which gives it a more bouncy
and tripping rhythm than ‘Introduction’. The style is again very simple, with no
punctuation-breaks within the lines, rhyme between the second and fourth lines of
each stanza, and carefree and uncomplicated style enhances the simple and positive
picture presented. We can say that the simple writing suits a simple positive subject;
but Blake’s metre in this poem is so regular that, together with the redundant
repetition of ‘sweet’ in line 1, it creates a slight exaggeration of simplicity. We cannot
say that this ‘exaggeration’ is noticeable enough to be a parody; it does not mock or
undermine the innocent world depicted. However, it does have the effect of defining
the world of ‘Innocence’. It is as if the style says: ‘Here is the world of Innocence.
Lovely, isn’t it? But it is exactly this limited.’

SOURCE: William Blake, the Poems by Nicholas Marsh

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The poem applauds the efforts of the shepherd as he looks after his sheep. It speaks of
the happiness his labours bring him. He protects and guards his sheep and, at the same
time, sings the praises of God as he goes about his tasks. The sheep feel secure
knowing that their shepherd will always respond to their cries for help.

Commentary: The shepherd is another familiar figure or symbol in the poetry of the
18th Century. Joseph Addison (1672-1719), in his ‘Pastoral Hymn’, for example is
sure that:
The Lord my Pasture shall prepare,
And feed me with a Shepherd’s Care.

The shepherd is, as we have seen, one of the ‘Innocence’ symbols, along with those of
the child and other aspects of nature. The origin of this symbolic use can be found
again in the picture from the New Testament of the shepherd as one who ‘cares for his
sheep’, an idea that is picked up in the first stanza of the poem: ‘He shall follow his
sheep all the day’.

There is a biblical ring too, to the last line of his first stanza: ‘And his tongue shall be
filled with praise’. ‘Tongue’ here is an example of that biblical tendency to
abbreviation, for it stands for the whole power of speech and articulation.

The caring nature of the shepherd is highlighted in the second stanza. There are
distinct echoes of the parable told by Christ of the lost sheep, which the shepherd
seeks. The sense of loss expressed here illustrates the fact that, even in these poems of
innocence and freedom from harm, there is still at time a new sense of menace.

Additional Notes(Mrs Reed)

♦ The Shepherd – Rural, Idyllic, Pastoral (RIP)

♦ Pastoral have implication of love, where as rural relates to the countryside and
nature
♦ The relationship of care between shepherd and sheep is clearly illustrated. The
shepherd has the job of keeping them safe. Though we should be aware that
the only reason we care for the sheep is that we need them.
♦ The form: short, simple poem, regular length lines, many monosyllabic words
♦ The second verse: Rhyming scheme = B & D. The first three lines are similar
in rhythm but more stress on the last line

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♦ Conventional, biblical imagery given of the good shepherd

♦ Shepherd – perfect, has natural freedom from city life however, it isn’t
complete pure freedom since there is always the underlying danger of wolves
and other predators for the sheep and the shepherd has to protect
♦ Blake is obviously speaking to children but some can argue he is talking to
everyone in general

SOURCE: York Notes