“The Tyger” –William Blake

By: Zackary Yang and Patrick Love

The Tyger

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps or skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand dare sieze the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art. Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain? In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? what dread grasp Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears, And watered heaven with their tears, Did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Reading

Related Biographical Information

This poem was originally an engraving and at the age ten Blake began his artistic training in one of the best drawing schools.

Often when his work was noticed, readers and viewers concluded that it was weird, confused, or insane.

Meaning and Message

One theme central to Blake's "The Tyger" is the identity of God or the Creator. The speaker asks what kind of creator would create a tiger? What kind of creator would form such a powerful evil to the world when there are innocents such as lambs?

The Tyger also questions the existence of evil in this world. Blake questions if God is loving why would he create evil.

Poetic Devices

Repetition: The first stanza and last stanza are exactly the same and are included to show and then reaffirm the strength and beauty in the image of the tyger.

Allusion: Stanza five is and allusion to the battle in heaven between God and the fallen angels lost and how the angels lost and let out their rage on the humans below.

Alliteration: The phrase “Tyger, tyger, burning bright.” is an example of alliteration, reaffirming the tyger’s beauty and strength.

Metaphor: The comparison of the tyger’s eyes to fire shows the intensity and ferociousness of the tyger.

Personification: “When the stars threw down their spears.” Stars are supposed to be a goal t0 reach in a human’s life because of how little are known about them and he portrays them as bad and evil although at a glance they look preaceful and calm.

Poem vs. Time Period

The Poem relates to the time period by portraying the disillusionment in the sense that the people of the Victorian time period began to question many of their original beliefs and rules.

Song Realting To The Tyger

The song What If by Coldplay relates very well to The Tyger. It is all about questioning reality and making decisions on your own. In the very first stanza it relates to The Tyger by questioning first if there was no light, or it can be related as “good”, and what if there was no wrong or right. This is compared to the Tyger in the sense that the speaker questions God’s actions of creating evil and not allowing man to control evil and in comparison that the song states that if there was no light or “good” then what could stop the differentiation between right an wrong.