The Tyger - William Blake

[VanessaB16]

And what shoulder, & what art, could twist the sinews of thy heart? <3

The Tyger, a poem by William Blake written in the late 1700, is a beautiful piece of literature that contemplates the presence of evil. Throughout the poem, the narrator asks "what immortal hand or eye/ could frame thy fearful symmetry." The narrator is questioning the presence of the tiger opposed to the lamb. The narrator cannot seem to understand how a powerful being such as the creator could form such peace yet also form such evil. Each subsequent stanza continues to ask further questions all relating back to the same topic of the creator's mentality.

During the time period this poem was written, religion was extremely present in people's lives. This poem shows the belief the people had in religion and the questions they had for the God they worshiped.

The tiger is a symbol of evil or the devil. The narrator questions why the creator would create an evil creature which in turn asks why evil itself was created. There is mention of a blacksmith in the 4th stanza. The blacksmith can be related to the creator or to God, further emphasizing the theme of religion.

The Tyger is a beautifully written poem questioning the presence of evil. Everyone interprets poetry differently, but I believe that the poem is trying to show that there are necessary evils in the world that allow us to experience the beauty of the good in an entirely different way.

What do you think of the poem??

[literarycat]

This was one of my favorite poems of William Blakes, along with the artwork he did for it. If I remember correctly "The Lamb" is the counterpart to this poem. He had a lot of poems that went together showing innocence, and then showing as you said the presence of evil. It's been a while since I have read either of his books I have...I may need to do that.

[VanessaB16]

This was one of my favorite poems of William Blakes, along with the artwork he did for it. If I remember correctly "The Lamb" is the counterpart to this poem. He had a lot of poems that went together showing innocence, and then showing as you said the presence of evil. It's been a while since I have read either of his books I have...I may need to do that.

This is one of my favourite poems too!! And yes, you are right, The Lamb is the counterpart to this poem. One of Blake's books is titled "Songs of Innocence and of Experience." Obviously, The Lamb belongs to the Innocence section and The Tyger belongs to the Experience section.

[literarycat]

Yes I couldn't remember the second book. I have them separately innocence and then experience both with the artwork. A good thing that came from college required reading.

[Keith80]

We should be thankful that clever people such as Blake felt impelled to write down their thoughts for us to consider. Blake's "Tyger,Tyger burning bright" has made for an unforgettable image on many, many minds, and will doubtless continue to do so. It is curious that religion has been the cause of so much worthy output. I think of J.S. Bach communing with his God as he wrote the Art of Fugue or the Mass in B, or much of Milton's poetical works.