The Tyger

Question 1

“Tyger Tyger, burning bright, / In the forests of the night;”

Answer 1

This opening line captures the tiger’s power and mystery through vivid imagery.
The repetition of “Tyger Tyger” acts like an incantation, evoking awe and reverence for the creature.
The metaphor “burning bright” likens the tiger to a flame, symbolizing its intensity, energy, and divine creation.
However, the “forests of the night” introduce an element of darkness and danger, suggesting the tiger’s association with the unknown and potentially destructive forces.
The juxtaposition of light and dark reflects Blake’s central theme of duality, where creation embodies both beauty and terror.
The alliteration in “burning bright” reinforces the tiger’s energy, while the rhythmic structure mirrors the tiger’s movement, emphasizing its primal and untamed nature.
This opening sets a tone of wonder and inquiry, inviting the reader to ponder the complexity of the tiger and its place in the divine order.

Question 2

“What immortal hand or eye, / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?”

Answer 2

This line poses a rhetorical question that explores the tiger’s origin and the nature of its creator.
The “immortal hand or eye” refers to a divine being, emphasizing the extraordinary power required to create such a formidable creature.
The phrase “fearful symmetry” is an oxymoron that captures the tiger’s paradoxical nature-its beauty lies in its terrifying perfection.
The symmetry suggests balance and order, but the word “fearful” conveys danger and unpredictability, reflecting the tension between creation and destruction.
The question itself conveys awe and a sense of human limitation, as the speaker grapples with the incomprehensibility of such divine craftsmanship. This line introduces a profound philosophical question: can the same God who creates innocence (symbolized by the lamb) also create something so ferocious? The tiger becomes a symbol of the sublime, where beauty and terror coexist, challenging traditional notions of a purely benevolent creator.

Question 3

“And what shoulder, and what art, / Could twist the sinews of thy heart?”

Answer 3

This line evokes the image of a divine craftsman laboring to create the tiger, with “shoulder” and “art” symbolizing strength and skill.
The metaphor of “twisting the sinews of thy heart” emphasizes the tiger’s raw power and vitality, suggesting that its creation was a physical and spiritual act requiring immense effort.
The imagery of a blacksmith at work reflects Blake’s broader concern with creation as a blend of force and artistry, hinting at the industrial processes of his time.
The line also raises questions about the moral and emotional intent behind the tiger’s creation-was its ferocity crafted deliberately, and if so, to what end? By emphasizing both physicality and artistry, Blake presents creation as both mechanical and divine, linking the tiger to humanity’s own struggle to reconcile power and purpose.

Question 4

“Did he who made the Lamb make thee?”

Answer 4

This line starkly contrasts the tiger with the lamb, a symbol of innocence, purity, and Christ-like gentleness in Blake’s companion poem, “The Lamb.” The rhetorical question underscores the paradox of a creator capable of making both creatures, representing the coexistence of opposites in divine creation.
This contrast invites reflection on the dual nature of existence: innocence and experience, good and evil, creation and destruction.
The allusion to the lamb, a traditional Christian symbol, challenges the reader to consider whether God’s nature encompasses both benevolence and wrath.
The tone of the question suggests both wonder and doubt, as the speaker grapples with the idea that the same divine power responsible for innocence could also forge something as fierce and awe-inspiring as the tiger.
This line encapsulates Blake’s exploration of the moral complexities of creation and divine intent.

Question 5

“What the hammer? what the chain, / In what furnace was thy brain?”

Answer 5

This industrial imagery likens the creation of the tiger to the work of a blacksmith, with tools like the “hammer” and “chain” symbolizing strength and control.
The “furnace” suggests the intensity of the process, linking the tiger’s fiery energy to a place of heat and transformation.
This mechanical and violent imagery reflects the immense effort required to create such a powerful and fearsome creature, evoking both admiration and fear.
The mention of the tiger’s “brain” suggests intelligence and willpower, adding complexity to its physical strength.
Blake’s use of industrial language also ties the poem to the Industrial Revolution, critiquing humanity’s growing fascination with machinery and its potential for both creation and destruction.
This line reinforces the theme of divine craftsmanship and raises philosophical questions about the purpose and morality of creating something so formidable.

Question 6

Form

Answer 6

1. Lyric Poem:
   • “The Tyger” is a lyric poem, exploring profound emotional and philosophical questions. Its repetitive and rhythmic structure enhances its meditative, hymn-like quality, reflecting awe and reverence toward divine creation.
2. Trochaic Meter:
   • The poem predominantly uses trochaic tetrameter (stressed-unstressed syllables), giving it a pounding, chant-like rhythm that mirrors the tiger’s primal energy and power.
   • The driving rhythm captures both the force of the tiger and the speaker’s relentless questioning.
3. Simple Language, Profound Ideas:
   • Despite its relatively simple and direct language, the poem addresses complex themes of creation, duality, and the nature of God, making it accessible while encouraging deeper reflection.

Question 7

Structure

Answer 7

1. Six Quatrains:
   • The poem is divided into six quatrains (four-line stanzas) with an AABB rhyme scheme. This regular structure reflects the “symmetry” of the tiger, mirroring the balance and order the speaker finds in its design.
   • The consistent rhyme scheme gives the poem a rhythmic, musical quality, emphasizing its meditative tone.
2. Repetition:
   • The repetition of the opening couplet as the closing couplet (“Tyger Tyger, burning bright”) creates a cyclical structure, suggesting that the questions raised in the poem remain unanswered. This reflects the eternal mystery of creation and divine power.
3. Progression of Questions:
   • The poem’s structure mimics a process of inquiry, as the speaker moves from awe to deeper philosophical questioning. The repeated use of rhetorical questions highlights the speaker’s growing amazement and inability to comprehend the tiger’s creator.
4. Contrast with “The Lamb”:
   • Structurally, “The Tyger” contrasts with Blake’s earlier poem, “The Lamb”, from Songs of Innocence. While “The Lamb” uses gentle, simple questions to explore innocence, “The Tyger” employs intense, fiery imagery and darker questions to probe the complexities of experience and divine duality.

Question 8

Context

Answer 8

2. Religious Philosophy:
   • Blake questions traditional Christian views of a wholly benevolent God by exploring whether the same God who created the gentle lamb could also create the fearsome tiger. The poem reflects Blake’s fascination with the complexities of divine creation and the coexistence of good and evil within the universe.
   • The use of biblical references, such as “the Lamb,” aligns with Blake’s interest in spirituality and his critique of organized religion’s simplistic portrayal of God.
3. Industrial Revolution:
   • Written during the late 18th century, “The Tyger” is influenced by the Industrial Revolution, reflected in the poem’s imagery of the forge (“hammer,” “chain,”
   “furnace”). Blake critiques humanitv’s growing obsession with mechanization and industrial power, drawing parallels between divine creation and human Craftsmanship

Question 9

Themes

Answer 9

• Creation and Divine Power
• Good and Evil
• Innocence and Experience
• Duality of Nature (Beauty and Terror)
• The Sublime (Awe and Fear in Nature)