the tyger (74) Flashcards
impact of iambic metre
tends to be optimistic; blake uses it to emphasise the inescapability of suffering so you might as well be happy in it and to promote the hope for a better future
“frame thy fearful symmetary?”
repeated rhetorical question reflects blakes interest in keeping curiosity alive
“frame” reflects the artistry and care of the creator and humanities lack of ever fully understanding the world around us as art has millions of way to be interpretted
also metaphorically presents nature as powerful and valuable (despite not being valued in the industrial revolution) through the use of “frame”
poetic intention
to contemplate the divine and humanity+society versus nature
context at the time that separated humanity and nature/the divine
industrial revolution
french revolution?
“tyger”
could represent humanity and its evils, the power of nature or the morality of god
how could such kind god create a creature of such terror and capacity of violence?
impact of direct address to the tyger
blake calling for the working classes (“the tyger”) to stand together to create a threat against the inequality
the tyger becoming a metaphor for the power of the people; something not really understood but threatening
semantic field of “fire”
“burning” “burnt” “fire”
fire is risky; god is essentially playing with fire by creating creatures with the capacity for as much destruction as tigers do (but so do humans)
fire is used to burn down and rebuild, reflecting a revolution or a necessity to start over
“deep or skies”
motif of good and evil and the juxtaposition between the two
imagery of icarus and the ultimate doom of certain people, or humanity as a whole; questioning why the creator even made death if not to doom us all
“of thy heart”
the heart is what makes humanity different to the other creatures on the planet; it keeps us alive but also keeps us human
questioning whether a creature so threatening could even have a heart (or the creator)
semantic field of industrialisation
“hammer” “chain” “furnace” “anvil”
strain of industry and how difficult it must have been for the creator (admiration to the creator)
even god and the epitome of nature (wild tiger) can be industrialised as its contaminating everything (corruption of church or something idk)
“dare”
repeated to emphasise the connotations of overstepping; blake highlighting how nature is best left untouched by humanity and uncorrupted
humanity daring to interact with a tiger at all is a overstepping and a corruption of something pure
criticising the church and industrialisation for the selfishness in which they consumed and took over
“the lamb”
lambers are imagery for pure innocence; with the tyger being the opposite despite no difference in their actions during the poem
both created by the creator but one is demonised
lambs loved because they produce wool (object of comfort and warmth) and placidness; maybe metaphor for the rich versus the poor
“the stars threw down their spears”
stars metaphor for angels juxtaposed with violence of spears
reflection of the violence of the church
“dare frame thy fearful symmetry”
reflecting god’s risk taking in creating humanity as well as every other creature; every creature has the capacity for evil
blake promoted the pursuit of being courageous enough to dare to seek answers
impact of rhyming
rhyming couplets reflect the duality of good and evil and chaos versus conformity
