The Shepherd - Synopsis and commentary

Synopsis

The Shepherd

This poem commends the life of a shepherd. His time is spent following his sheep, praising them for the innocence of the lambs and the tender relationship between lamb and ewe. They can be in peace because they know their shepherd is watching over them.

The concern of the poem with shepherd and sheep places it within the pastoral tradition. That imagery also relates to the many images of shepherds and sheep in the Bible, which are intrinsic to the depiction of God. See Aspects of literature > Impact of the Bible > Big ideas from the Bible > Sheep, shepherd, lamb.

Commentary

This poem seems a simple poem of praise. Blake's original readers would immediately identify the parallels between the shepherd and sheep and the shepherd / sheep imagery used throughout the Bible to describe the relationship between God and humankind.

Blake's divergence from the traditional imagery

If Blake's shepherd is associated with Christ (described in the New Testament as the Good Shepherd), some important differences need to be noticed:

The biblical Good Shepherd is followed by his sheep
- Here, he follows them
In the Old Testament, a famous figure was the shepherd who became a guerrilla leader, then king, David
- Here, the idea of the shepherd as leader is absent. The notion of Blake's shepherd ‘straying' conveys an air of careless ease and freedom to his days. Although he is watchful, he does not need to worry about his sheep, but can meander along with them
According to the Bible and in Christian teaching, it is the shepherd who receives praise from his sheep for his watchful, tender care.
- Here, the shepherd praises his flock for the tender love between lamb and ewe. They can be peaceful because he watches over them but there is a sense of mutuality. He watches over them but doesn't ‘lord it' over them.

If the poem is read as Blake's shepherd being associated with God, Blake seems to be emphasising the vision of a ‘God alongside people', who loves humankind without demanding obedience in return. He has no association with rules and laws, with leadership and authority, with binding and caging.

A song of innocence

In reality, the job of any shepherd is to be constantly vigilant over his sheep, in the face of danger. But this is a Song of Innocence; there appear to be no overt threats to heighten the shepherd's vigilance. Blake conveys this by having the sheep resting ‘in peace' rather than ‘without fear'. Fear does not seem to be part of the speaker's vocabulary.

In the Bible, the Good Shepherd has to protect his flock against enemies. He is also personally vulnerable - he ‘lays down his life for his sheep' John 10:11. The vision of an innocent lacks this perspective.

Ironically, innocence is always vulnerable to being threatened, devoured and destroyed because it does not understand the existence of what can threaten, devour and destroy.

Investigating the portrayal of shepherds

Think about any other poem, play or even nursery-rhyme that involves a shepherd or shepherdess
- How far does the shepherd in this poem seem like or unlike that shepherd?
  - What are the similarities?
  - What are the differences?

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. ²But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. ⁶This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. ⁷So Jesus again said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. ¹¹I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father. ¹⁹There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. ²⁰Many of them said, He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him? ²¹Others said, These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind? ²²At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. ²⁴So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. ²⁵Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, ²⁶but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. ³⁰I and the Father are one. ³¹The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. ³²Jesus answered them, I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me? ³³The Jews answered him, It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God. ³⁴Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your Law, I said, you are gods? ³⁵If he called them gods to whom the word of God came - and Scripture cannot be broken - ³⁶do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, You are blaspheming, because I said, I am the Son of God? ³⁷If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; ³⁸but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. ³⁹Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. ⁴⁰He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. ⁴¹And many came to him. And they said, John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true. ⁴²And many believed in him there.

¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ²But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. ⁴And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. ⁵And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. ⁶This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. ⁷Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. ¹¹I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. ¹²But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. ¹³The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. ¹⁵As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. ¹⁷Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. ¹⁸No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. ¹⁹There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. ²⁰And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? ²¹Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? ²²And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. ²³And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. ²⁴Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. ²⁵Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. ²⁶But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: ²⁸And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. ³⁰I and my Father are one. ³¹Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. ³²Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? ³³The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. ³⁴Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? ³⁵If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; ³⁶Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? ³⁷If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. ³⁸But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. ³⁹Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand, ⁴⁰And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode. ⁴¹And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. ⁴²And many believed on him there.

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