The Tiger by William Blake

Text:

TIGER, tiger, 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 and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and 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?

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

Initial Reaction:

I believe that the tiger symbolizes evil, and further, I believe the tiger represents the devil. The poem asked, “Did He who made the lamb make thee?” alluding to the Bible and Blake’s previous poem, “The Lamb.” While the lamb symbolized innocence and purity, the tiger provides an extreme contrast as it is described to be deadly and dreadful. The poem raises the question of if the God who created goodness in the world also created evil. Further, the poem raises the question of where did evil originate from.

Paraphrase:

TIGER, tiger, burning intensely,
In the forests at night,
What supernatural being
Framed such a terrifying body?

In what depths of the earth or heights of the skies
Created the fire in your eyes?
What purpose did he aim to achieve?
Would anyone dare to grab the fire?

And what creativeness
Could put together your heart?
And when your heart began beating,
Did your maker dread what it created?

From what tools? From what materials?
In what fiery pit was your brain taken from?
What the metal? What people dreaded your grasp
If your deadly nature ever struck?

When the stars threw away their weapons,
And rained on heaven with their tears,
Did your creator smile at his work?
Did the person who created the lamb also make you?

Tiger, tiger, burning intensely
In the forests at night,
What supernatural being
Framed such a terrifying body?

SWIFTT:

SW: The first stanza is repeated in the last stanza to place emphasis on the terrifying nature of the tiger, and to tie together the message of the poem. The poem is written as a series of questions that reference to the deadly, frightening nature of the tiger and questions what being would create such a beast. Further, the author uses ominous word choice, such as “fearful symmetry” and “sinews of thy heart,” to depict the terrors brought about by the tiger.

I: The author uses dark and fiery imagery throughout the poem. He uses phrases like “forests of the night” to create the image of the dark and fearful tiger. Further, images of fire are present throughout the poem as the author writes, “burning bright” and “Burnt the fire of thine eyes.”

F: The tiger in the poem is an extended metaphor for the devil. The line “TIGER, tiger, burning bright” is a metaphor comparing the tiger to fire, and further, comparing the tiger to the devil. In addition, the references to fire made throughout the poem are allusions to hell, and the idea that hell is where evil is destined to spend eternity. The line “Did He who made the lamb make thee?” is an allusion to Blake’s previous poem, “The Lamb,” and the Bible, where both works of literature refer to God as the creator of all things. The poem also contains personification, as it reads, “When the stars threw down their spears,/ And water'd heaven with their tears.”

T: The tone of the poem is dark and daunting as it depicts the deadly and terrifying tiger. Words used to describe the tiger like “fearful symmetry” and “sinews of thy heart” paint an image of the tiger as a fearful being, contributing to the dark nature of the poem. In addition, the creator of the tiger’s intentions are questioned throughout the poem, as the narrator speculates “On what wings dare [the creator] aspire” when he created the beast. The questioning of the creator’s intentions greatly contributes to the daunting tone of the poem.

T: The theme of the poem is that while God created good, he also created evil. The entire poem raises the question of why anyone would create a beast like the tiger. The tiger is consistently described as “twisted” and “fearful,” and the narrator continually asks why any being would create such a beast. Throughout the poem, the narrator contemplates what God felt or thought of when he created the tiger, who symbolizes the devil and evil in the world.

Conclusion:

My concluding thoughts on the poem do not differ at all from my initial reaction. I still believe that the tiger represents the devil and evil in the world. Further, the poem alludes to the previous poem, “The Lamb,” as the author questions “Did He who made the lamb make thee?” The poem raises the question, if God created goodness and purity, why did he create evil and darkness?