“The Little Girl Found” Analysis by William Blake: 2022

“The Little Girl Found” is a poem written by the English Poet William Blake.  It was published as part of his collection Songs Of Experience in 1794. It is a poignant poem depicting the harshness of life and coming to terms with the bittersweet truth. In the poem, the parents of a seven-year-old girl called Lyca are desperately searching for her who seems to have been lost in the desert. For days and nights, they go on looking for the girl up to the point where they encounter a lion which tells them where the child lies. So here is The Little Girl Found William Blake Analysis for you.

The Little Girl Found Analysis

This poem, The Little Girl Found William Blake, shows the fulfilling of Blake’s image of the “desert wild become garden mild”; this implies that the parent’s perception of nature has changed diametrically and that they no longer fear their natural surroundings. The poet uses this imagery to show that positive changes are possible without corruption but only through the experience of what is natural. The poem starts on a poignant note. It is shown how desperately the parents seek their lost girl amidst the desert. “While the deserts weep” implies that even nature is communion with the parent’s feelings. This demonstrates the feeling of “despair “that the parents of the little girl face in their task.

The poem expresses grief and pain which life brings to human beings. Lyca’s parents think that she has lost her way home and is wondering in the desert. They’re “tired” and “woebegone” implying the depths of their pain. And for a period of seven days, they continuously searched for their little-lost girl. This ardent spirit of the parents inspires the reader to not give on hope in the hours of despair. The parents have reached a point of desperation that their dreams are consumed by nightmares of their starving child. The life loses its color and is now pitch black. This suggests the loss of mirth that humans feel in the times of extreme sorrow. Their vivid imagination of the pale girl wandering amidst the desert famished, weeping and letting out a shriek of help arouses a strong an emotion of empathy in the reader’s hearts. At the end of their long search, the mother lost her will succumbing to weakness. This is a symbolism for the female “fragility.” She can no longer come to terms with what might have actually happened to her daughter. The grief wears her heart out and she is left in the world of darkness surrounded by despair. This portrays the human condition of “surrender” in the times of utter despair.

The father is the stronger of the two bears her in his arms and carries on their quest to find the lost daughter until they find a lion laying on the ground. Upon meeting the tiger they were terrified but could not retreat. The lion, however, does not harm them. The lion represents a dangerous, predatory force in the prophetic books of the old testament. Blake uses him as the symbol of ferocious power and energy within creation. The kingliness of the lion (“crown” “golden hair” “palace”) means that it is also associated with the various biblical versions of Christ at the end of time.

In the Bible, Jesus is pictured both as a lion and the lamb. He takes them to his cave where they find Lyca among the wild beasts. The child is taken from her earthly suffering by death and given comfort and rest for eternity. The poem is not a simple story of a girl lost and found. It has a strange fairy-tale like atmosphere. Upon mee6ing their child there is a sense of resignation in their faces. This implies that the child is dead and the only way for them to reunite with their daughter is through death. It is shown that they have shed their fear and aren’t intimidated by the wolvish howl or the lion’s growl implying that in the face of extreme grief and despair they’ve lost their senses. Thus they happily surrender themselves in the situation. It means that they are willing to face death fearlessly to be reunited with their daughter.

This poem also dwells upon the poignant human emotions of loss and despair and true joy. In the end, the parents dedicated to finding their lost daughter are rewarded with the sight of their daughter lying amidst the beasts. This meeting is of significance as it portrays a sense of joy in finding their long-lost daughter and at the same time a resignation or surrender when the truth is unveiled. It is this poignant realization of the death of their beloved daughter that numbs them and they feel no fear in the face of death. It also illustrates the depth of the parent’s despair in the end that they are willing to throw their lives away because of their failed attempt to save the daughter. This poem is marked with biblical connotations and depicts religious ideals through the story. The interweaving of hope & surrender by the poet is exemplary. The poem ends on a sad note leaving a trace of despair in the reader’s heart.

The Little Girl Found Central Idea/Theme

The central idea of the poem is the acceptance of both sorrow and joys in life. It teaches us to have hope and believe in God as he shall help us deliver from the pain. The vivid description of the parent’s condition is relatable to the reader. The poignant emotion can be felt throughout the poem and the reader cannot help but feel sad at the turn of events. The use of biblical teachings imparts an important lesson to the reader. It also shows the strength of love and hope. It was these feelings that kept the parents alive and helped them from succumbing to the weakness. Their fervent spirit inspires the reader to never give up in life. The poem beautifully portrays the feeling of love between a parent and a child. It ends on a bittersweet note leaving the reader teary-eyed.