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Overview of "The Tyger"

"The Tyger" is one of the most iconic and frequently analyzed poems by William Blake,
published in his collection Songs of Experience in 1794. It stands in stark contrast to "The
Lamb" from Songs of Innocence, forming a crucial part of Blake's exploration of "the two
contrary states of the human soul." The poem is a series of profound rhetorical questions
addressed to the tiger, questioning its origins and the nature of its creator. It delves into
themes of creation, evil, divine power, and the terrifying aspects of the sublime.

Blake, a Romantic poet, artist, and mystic, often challenged conventional religious and
philosophical thought. Songs of Experience presents a world marked by societal corruption,
suffering, and a loss of innocence, reflecting Blake's disillusionment with the Industrial
Revolution and the perceived oppression of the human spirit. "The Tyger" epitomizes this
disillusionment by grappling with the problem of evil and the terrifying aspects of God's
creation.

 And what shoulder, & what art, / Could twist the sinews of thy heart?": The
focus shifts from the overall framing to the intricate, powerful internal mechanisms of
the tiger.
o "Shoulder" implies immense physical strength, suggesting the raw power
needed to sculpt and manipulate such a creature.
o "Art" refers to skill, craftsmanship, and ingenious design. The "twisting of
sinews" suggests a violent, forceful, and intricate process – not a gentle
molding, but a powerful act of construction, like a blacksmith forging metal.
This reinforces the idea of a Creator who is a mighty artisan.
 "And when thy heart began to beat, / What dread hand? & what dread feet?":
These lines emphasize the moment of animation, the terrifying instant when the tiger
became a living, breathing, pulsing entity. The repetition of "dread hand" and "dread
feet" reinforces the awe and terror evoked by the Creator and the created. It highlights
the overwhelming power of the Creator and the sheer, physical terror of the tiger's
being.

Stanza 4

What the hammer? what the chain, In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? what
dread grasp, Dare its deadly terrors clasp!

 "What the hammer? what the chain, / In what furnace was thy brain?": This
stanza deepens the industrial, blacksmith imagery.
o "Hammer," "chain," "furnace," "anvil": These are tools of immense
power, used for shaping hard, raw materials like metal. They conjure images
of intense heat, laborious effort, and a violent process of creation. This
suggests that the tiger was not gently formed but fiercely forged.
o "Furnace was thy brain?": This is a striking image. It implies that the tiger's
very thought processes, its predatory instincts, were forged in a place of
intense heat and pressure – suggesting a mind designed for ruthless efficiency
and power.
  "What the anvil? what dread grasp, / Dare its deadly terrors clasp!": The "anvil"
is where the shaping takes place, reinforcing the idea of a deliberate, powerful
creation. "Dread grasp" returns to the question of the Creator's power and courage –
who dared to take hold of such a fearsome being and shape it into existence? It
emphasizes the risk and immense power involved in "clasping" or containing such
"deadly terrors."

Stanza 5

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?

 "When the stars threw down their spears, / And water'd heaven with their
tears": This is perhaps the most enigmatic and symbolic couplet.
o "Stars threw down their spears": This suggests a moment of cosmic battle,
a surrender, or a response to an overwhelming force. It could imply that even
celestial beings were astonished, overcome, or perhaps dismayed by the
creation of the tiger. Some interpret this as a reference to fallen angels (like
Satan and his legions) or a cosmic upheaval at the very moment of creation. It
underscores the immense, almost disruptive, nature of the tiger's birth.
o "Water'd heaven with their tears": This image of celestial weeping further
emphasizes the profound, perhaps sorrowful or fearful, reaction of the cosmos
to the tiger's creation. It adds a layer of pathos or cosmic dread to the scene.
 "Did he smile his work to see?": This direct question challenges the conventional
image of a benevolent God. Would a loving Creator genuinely smile upon the creation
of a creature capable of such destruction and terror? It hints at a potentially dark or
indifferent aspect of the divine, or perhaps a complex, non-human understanding of
'good' and 'evil'.
 "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?": This is the climactic question, directly
addressing the poem's central theological paradox. It is a direct intertextual reference
to Blake's earlier poem "The Lamb" from Songs of Innocence, which celebrates a
gentle, innocent, and benevolent God. This line forcefully presents the problem of
theodicy: how can the same divine hand create both ultimate innocence and ultimate
terror? It forces the reader to confront the duality of creation and the complex nature
of God.

Stanza 6

Tyger Tyger burning bright In the forests of the night: What immortal hand or eye, Dare
frame thy fearful symmetry?

 Repetition with a Crucial Change: This stanza repeats the first, but with a subtle yet
powerful alteration. The initial "Could frame" (Stanza 1) becomes "Dare frame"
(Stanza 6).
o "Could frame": Implies the capability or power of the Creator.
o "Dare frame": Elevates the question to one of courage, audacity, or even
moral responsibility. It asks not just if the Creator was able to make such a
thing, but if they dared to, knowing its destructive potential. This final word
intensifies the speaker's awe and trepidation, leaving the reader with a sense of
the unfathomable nature of the divine and the terrifying mystery of creation.
Conclusion for MEG 01 Exam

In "The Tyger," William Blake masterfully employs vivid imagery, a driving rhythm, and
insistent rhetorical questions to explore the unsettling paradox of creation. It is a cornerstone
of his Songs of Experience, directly confronting the problem of evil and challenging
simplistic notions of a purely benevolent God. The poem's power lies not in offering answers,
but in its relentless questioning, forcing the reader to grapple with the dualities of existence –
innocence and experience, beauty and terror, creation and destruction. For your MEG 01
exam, demonstrating an understanding of these thematic tensions, Blake's use of mock-heroic
elements (though not mock-heroic in the same way as Dryden, but in its epic scope of
questioning), and his meticulous control of form (trochaic tetrameter, AABB rhyme,
repetition) will be key to a strong analysis. It highlights Blake's Romantic fascination with the
sublime and his profound spiritual inquiries.