The Tyger by William Blake

Summary and poetry Analysis

     The Tyger is the most famous poem written by William Blake.  The Tyger is a symbol for the fierce forces in the soul that are necessary to break the bonds of experience. the tyger stands for a divine spirit that will not be subdued by restrictions but will arise established rules and conventions.

     The Tyger is a symbolic poem based on Blake's personal philosophy of spiritual and intellectual revoution by individuals.  The speaker in the poem is puzzled but the sight of a Tyger in the night and he askes series of questions about its fierce appearence and about the creator who made it.  The context must be interpreted according to Blake's philosophy of symbolic myths about human life, society and spiritual revolution.

     The first stanza and sixth stanza alike in every aspect for the shift from 'could frame' to 'Dare frame' asking about the immortal creator responsible for the beast.

The second stanza continues the fiery imagery of the tiger.  'Burning bright' with talk of 'the fire' of the creature's eyes and the notion of the creator fashioning the tiger out of pure fire as if he had reached his hand into the fire and moulded the creature from it.

     In the third stanza and the fourth stanza Blake introduces another central Metaphor drawing a comparison between God and a Blacksmith.  It is as if the creator made the blacksmith in his forge hammering the base materials into the living and breathing ferocious creature which walk over the Earth.

     the fifth stanza in more puzzling, but 'stars' have long been associated with human destiny.  'The stars threw down their spears' fall of stars and planet are what brought about the creation of the life on Earth.

     Many religious believers have had to think if God is al oving, why did he make such a fearsome and dangerous animal?  As Blake himself ask, 'Did he made the lamp made thee?'  Did the God make the gentle and meek animals but also destructive and ferocious ones?  He is describing not only the patterns on the Tyger's skin and fur which humans go in fear but the symmetry between the innocent lamb and the fearsome tiger.

     So the God creating the Tyger can be interpreted as any of these creative agents, which inspire common men to free their minds hearts and souls from the chains of social evils.  The forest is the symbol of corrupted social conventions and that tries to suppress the human good qualities.  Night stands for ignorance out of which the forest of false social institution is made?  Getting puzzles at the Tyger symbolically represents the final beginning of the realization and appreciation of the forces of his own soul.  He himself puzzled at its fearful faces and begins to ralize that he had got not only the lamb like humanity but also the tiger like energy for fighting back against the domnation of the evil society.  A pure man must free himself using this Tyger like force of the soul.

     Thematically, the poem is intended to make us to witness the person realizing the qualities of the soul and be realize it ourselves.  The spelling 'Tyger' is also a hint of the special meaning and emphasis as the unusal stresses.

Poetical Devices

     Major these are wonder and Good versus Evil.  The poet has used visual imagery coupled with other literary elements to bring out the themes.  The speaker shows a sense of awe and wonder about the Tyger.  But he fails to understand how the same God who created the gentle lamb could also make the vicious Tyger.  The poem reflects the that humans cannot understand the supremacy of God's and his work.

Assonnance:  Assonance is the reptition of vowel sounds in the same line.  /i/ in "Tyger Tyger burning bright", and /ae/ sound in Dare.

Metaphor: "in the forest in the night" he compares Tyger with darkness and repression.  'Burnt the fire of thine eyes' he compares its eyes with fire or something Evil.

Personification:  Blake has used personification in the 5th stanza where he consider stars as humans. example: "when the stars threw down their spears"

Alliteration:  the sound of /T/ and /b/ in Tyger Tyger burning bright and the sound of /f/ in dare frame they fearful symmetry.

Apostrophe:  Blake used in the first line

Symbolism:  "The Tyger" represents the Evil and beauty too.  "The forest of the night"  represnts unknown challenges, " The blacksmith" is the creator "The fearful symmetry symbolizes the existence of both Good and Bad.

Imagery: Blake has used imagery to show the unique creation of God "What immortal hand or eye.

Quatrain:  four lined stanzas.

Rhyme: A rhyme is a repetition  of similar sounding words, occurring at the end of lines in poems or songs. A rhyme is a tool utilizing repeating patterns that bring rhythm or musicality to poems.AABB

End Rhymes:  Bright, night, skies, eyes

Repetition: In poetry, repetition is repeating words, phrases, lines, or stanzas. Stanzas are groups of lines that are together. "Tyger Tyger burning Bright"

Refreain :  Refrain is a verse, a line, a set, or a group of lines that appears at the end of stanza, or appears where a poem divides into different sections. "Tyger Tyger Burning Bright

William Blake thus has skillfully employed these devices to make the poem spiritual.

thank you.