12-02-2023 18:11 The Tyger by William Blake | CommonLit | Teacher Guide

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ANSWER KEY

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> The Tyger

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by William Blake 1794

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1. Which of the following statements best summarizes how Blake describes the tiger? RL.9-10.2

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A. Blake depicts the tiger as a fearsome, dangerous animal that should be avoided.

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B. Blake describes the tiger in terms of its light and dark elements.

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C. Blake depicts the tiger as an awe-inspiring creature made artfully with powerful elements.

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D. Blake describes the tiger as a peaceful part of nature that is unchallenged by its own origins.

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2. How does the line "Did He who make the Lamb make thee?" (Line 20) contribute to the RL.9-10.5
the development of the poem?

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A. It implies that the tiger is actually a gentle creature like the lamb's namesake, Jesus Christ.
B. It implies that God is cruel for making a dangerous tiger that can tear an innocent lamb to pieces.
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C. It questions the judgment of a creator that would create such vastly different animals with such
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different components.
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D. It reveals the creator's incomprehensible motivation to create both a powerful creature like the
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tiger and a weak creature like the lamb.

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3. Which of the following statements best describes the author's purpose in this poem? RL.9-10.6
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A. The author aims to explore the question of existence and how things came to be as they are.
B. The author aims to talk about biology and evolution by posing questions in a spiritual way.
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C. The author aims to reveal a gap in human knowledge regarding where life came from.
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D. The author aims to prove that only a higher power could create such a magnificent creature as the
tiger.
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4. How does the speaker's use of imagery and descriptive language to describe the tiger RL.9-10.4
being "made" affect the mood of the poem? Cite evidence from the poem in your
response.

Answers will vary; students should describe that the tiger is "made" using strong and dangerous
elements by a powerful creator, contributing to a mysterious and awe-inspiring mood. In stanza 2,
the speaker says the tiger's eyes are made of "fire" from "distant deeps or skies." The creator must be
bold for "dar[ing] seize the fire" to make the tiger (Line 8). In stanza 4, the language that describes
making a tiger with a "hammer," "chain," "furnace," and "anvil" implies craftsmanship or smith-work.
This, in turn, emphasizes the power of both the tiger and creator, and it also provides a concrete
image of creation. Because the creator is described as having a "dread grasp" and hand that dares to
seize the fire, the creator remains strong, intimidating, yet mysterious (Line 15).

5. Compare and contrast the first stanza and the last stanza. What is the effect of the RL.9-10.5
stanzas' repetition on the text?

Answers will vary; students should recognize that the two stanzas are almost exactly the same, with
a few exceptions, suggesting the speaker has not answered the opening question but only developed
it to further marvel at the power of the creator. While both stanzas ask about the creator's powers,
the context differs slightly. The first stanza introduces the question out of curiosity: who "[c]ould
frame thy fearful symmetry?" (Line 4). But the last stanza challenges any being who could have
created the tiger: who "[d]are frame thy fearful symmetry?" (Line 24). The speaker acknowledges, by
the end of the poem, that a creator might have the power to forge the tiger but questions why a
creator would endow the tiger with such magnificent power. Students may recognize the symbolic
connection to the human spirit with this final line, which questions why God or any powerful deity
would give mankind such a powerful, individualistic spirit.
Help

https://www.commonlit.org/en/texts/the-tyger/teacher-guide 1/1