The Lamb The Lamb "The Lamb" is a poem by William Blake, published in "Songs of Innocence" in 1776. "The Lamb" is the counterpart poem to Blake's poem: "The Tyger" in "Songs of Experience". Blake wrote "Songs of Innocence" as a contrary to the "Songs of Experience" – a central tenet in his philosophy and a central theme in his work. Like many of Blake's works, the poem is about Christianity. The lamb is a common metaphor for Jesus Christ, who is also called "The Lamb of God" in John 1:29. This poem has a simple rhyme scheme: AA BB CC DD
Burning Bright was too long and too literary by the producers of the play led to the change to the shorter excerpt from the same poem: "Burning Bright". Friend Ed has been pointed out as one in a line of characters inspired by Steinbeck's best friend Ed Ricketts. At the time Steinbeck wrote "Burning Bright", Ricketts had recently been killed in a car accident, and as well as reflecting his friend's character in that of Friend Ed, it is thought that the settings of the circus and the sea may have had significance for Steinbeck: he had apparently been at the circus