The Tyger
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forest 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 seize the fire?
And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? and 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?
Summary / Analysis
The Tyger is a powerful and evocative poem by William Blake that explores the duality of creation and the nature of existence. Written as a series of rhetorical questions, the poem begins with the famous line "Tyger! Tyger! burning bright." The poem consists of six quatrains with a regular AABB rhyme scheme, contributing to its rhythmic quality and sense of wonder.
Blake addresses the fearsome and awe-inspiring tiger, reflecting on its majestic beauty and terrifying power. Through imagery of fire and light, Blake contrasts the tiger's ferocity with the lamb's gentleness by asking, "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" spurring more profound questions about God's responsibility for such different animalistic characteristics.
Blake's vivid imagery and rhythmic language enhance the poem's thematic depth, evoking both admiration through lines like "what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart?" and fear with lines like "What dread hand? & what dread feet?" Ultimately, The Tyger invites readers to contemplate the mysteries of creation and the nature of the divine, questioning how "What immortal hand or eye," could craft such a beautiful yet fearsome creature. Through this exploration, Blake, a deeply religious individual, challenges the reader to engage with the intricacies of faith and the apparent contradictions within the universe.