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 seize 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 water’d 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?

Introduction :

The poem ‘ Tyger ’ written by William Blake , is a very popular portion of his book ” Songs of Experience ” . William Blake being a French revolutionist , his values from life is been portrayed heavily about religion and the submission towards a higher power .

Analysis :

The artistry of the poet begins with him spelling ‘ Tiger ‘ as Tyger , it follows the old English where the spelling of tiger wasn’t established . Giving the reader an uneasy feeling about the creature and showing its ancient roots that the creature has been frightened for years . The repetition of the word tyger twice is to register the name onto us . And for us to be startled by the feeling of referring the extraordinary . The tigers having a bright orange colour with the dark strips give an idea of a creature fiercely covered with fire giving it an out of the world representation. Even in the darkest of the forest and the dangerous of the situation the tiger stands fiercely and strong . ‘ Immortal ‘ word is disguised to show the power and indestructive nature of the creature , that uses its sharp eyesight and strong paws that can see all creatures even in the dark and paws that can grab anything that it can see . To show the potential of the creature that can destroy anything that it can see . Although the tiger being so fierce as portrayed in the first three lines , the poet adds yet how beautifully symmetrical and unavoidably beautiful it is . It refers to the fear of sin being as dangerous it is people yet falling into the cycle of sin . For the tiger to see it with its eyes and to grab the people and never let them go .

Again bringing the readers to its eyesight that can reach the depth of the darkest places and the highest of the places that cannot escape its eyesight , expressing the inability of its prey to escape the anger and hunger the tiger possesses that can be seen through its eyes , to its prey, the poet expresses that there’s no way out of its eyesight and reach that no prey can escape its clutches. The indestructible type of creation the tiger is it cannot be approached ay anyone that even wish to get to it . The poet references the tiger to be like fire that cannot be touched by anyone without being affected by its heat here being the anger of the tiger .

Here the poet expresses how the structure of the strong creature is spreading fear among the ones who see it for being as beautifully unavoidable and dangerously strong it being. For even the one who created the tiger would be afraid of the creature would tremble the creator .

How did the creator shaped the creature that’s so strong , how did the creator control it’s fierceness . Also mocking the creator for creating a creature without understanding its power to destroy . Even for the tools he took for the shaping of the creature , questions the power the creators’ hands had to make this creature . And reason to have made this happen that could even harm the creator.

Here the poet questions the creator taking pleasure in seeing the people suffer from its creation ,the same creator who made others weaker and in larger numbers that he didn’t care for the people or was it just for him to enjoy the amusement of seeing us suffer . That didn’t he know we could be harmed by the tiger .

Here the poet questions the creator directly who could have made the creature so fearful and scary that he himself became a creator who is like the tiger who is full of anger to its people . Calling him the Tyger himself . Giving us the opportunity to question whether the creature created is having the same features as the tiger , fierce , full of anger and the one who holds the strength to destroy .

References

Tiger – a Monsterous creature depicted in Chinese mythology. | symbol of majestic demon

Lamb – People of God (Christian culture)

Anvil – a tool used in English culture to shape metal also the symbol of stability.

Figures of speech :

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright – Transferred Epithet “burning bright” , Alliteration – repetition of Letters b for bright and burning.

In the forests of the night – Anaphora – ‘ the ’ is used twice ,

Conclusion :

The creator describes the creature to have the same potential as the Tiger , who is feared by the people and strong and yet loved and feared by its people who can’t avoid but to be also feared at the same time .

Analysis
By Jovinjith Kennedy , BSc. Digital Filmmaking .
Assignment by Mr.Balu Depavath , English GE