The Tyger by William Blake

1. Original Text

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?

2. Initial Reaction

            My first reaction was that the poem was about what kind of greater being would create a being such as the tiger when it had created the lamb as well. The poem showed the greatness and beauty of the tiger and how it was made to be a predator and killer. An underlying theme of the poem is the anger at the evil in the world that was created by God.

3. Paraphrase the Poem

Tyger! Tyger! Very dangerous

Inside the darkness of the night

What God with his strength

Could create such an evil

In what fiery hell or heaven

Burns the evil that you emit?

In what world did you come from?

Who would be brave enough to create you?

And what strength and what mind

Could create the predatory feeling you emit?

And when the evil began to spread,

What scary grab? & what scary reach?

What object that created you? What chain that held you still?

In what room where you grown?

What could you be pounded against? What amazing strength

Would be able to so easily grab you?

When the heavens threw their attacks,

And what sad heaven with their liquid,

Did God smile at his creation to see?

Did the person who made it make the poor innocents?

Tyger! Tyger! Very dangerous

Inside the darkness of the night

What God with his strength

Could create such an evil

4. SWIFTT

SW = Syntax/Word Choice

            There are many different words that the William Blake uses to allow the reader to better understand the references that he was making. The first example of this would have to be when Blake uses the word immortal to allow readers to better understand that he is referring to an almighty being. Blake also uses the word dare multiple times because he is trying to give the feeling that creating the tiger is dangerous and could hurt the world very badly.

I = Imagery

            Blake invokes many images of fire and despair during the poem. By using words such as fire, deadly, and anvil, he allows readers to picture the creation of an ultimate evil by an “immortal” who has the strength to hold down some deadly evil. Blake also uses words such as “burning bright” and “sinews” to allow readers to be better picture a crazy and strong tiger.

F = Figurative Language

            The author uses some figurative language to allow the poem to flow and create beauty in his words. When Blake says “What hand dare seize the fire?”, he is referring to who would dare to seize the creature that is the Tyger. Blake also uses personification of the stars and the heavens who throw down their spears and cry respectively.

T = Tone

            The tone of the poem is fearful and scared at the amazing being that was created by an immortal. The tone through the entire poem is curious and surprised at the power of the being that created such a monster. Fear is put throughout the poem with the use of words such as dread and fire.

T = Theme

            The theme of the poem is that of wonder at why God would create evil in the world after he had created good such as the lamb. It centers around the amazement of construction such a harmful source from the same anvil in which good and justice was created. The them through the poem is consistently about the surprise at the creation that God was able to make.

5. Conclusion

            My first impression was for the most part accurate. The poem is about the creation and spread of evil in the world. It is about the wonder of why the stars and the heavens would allow such things to befall man. Blake writes about why God would create a force to go against the good and just that he hoped for mankind and the entire world. Blake writes about his amazement at how something like this was allowed to be released into the world just as the tiger is released at the lamb.