The Tyger - William Blake Flashcards
What are dissenters?
group of English Protestants who broke away from and rebelled against the Church of England
How did Blake being Brough up by Dissenters influence his view on the church?
He saw top-down religious structures as restrictions on individual liberties, and as obstacles to the direct relationship between humankind and God.
What may influence the hints of rebellion in the poem?
-The French Revolution 1789 - 1799
-The American Revolution 1763-1783
What or who does the Tyger represent?
-Symbolic of God’s creation
-Immorality of mankind
Why may Blake question God and creation in this poem?
-Growth in enlightenment > questioning of God
Why is the Tyger “burning bright”?
-Dangerous yet beautiful > feeling of the sublime > what God has created
-plosives
-Oxymoronic
-Creates a sense of unknown danger
What is significant about “forests of the night”?
-Concealed > hidden away
-hidden side to mankind or God
-Could symbolise the concealed dealings of the church and society
What does “immortal’ in stanza 1 allude to?
-The divine
What could ‘eye’ symbolise in stanza 1?
-Reflection of innocence
-window into the soul > the truths within
Why does the speaker question the creators bravery or ability in stanza 1?
- Intrigued and wanting to gain an understanding of what has been done
What could Blake mean by “Could Frame thy fearful symmetry”?
-mankind’s abilities are frightening yet beautiful.
-Rhetorical question creates a sense of uncertainty which channels fear.
-Tyger is not framed purely physically > symbolism of the mentality within mankind
What is the Tyger?
-Merely a creation
-Product of sinister external forces?
-A Product of humanity ?
What concerns the speaker in Stanza two?
-Motivations behind the tyger
-His personal relationship with God
What does “distant deeps or skies/ Burnt the fire of thine eyes?” tell us?
-Eyes as windows to the soul > looking into the corruption and the morality
-“Deeps” and “skies” = heaven and hell
What does “what wings dare he aspire?” allude to?
-Allusion to Icarus and Daedalus > Consequences > flying to close to the sun > If God should have done this or created something dangerous for mankind
What is significant about the motif of “fire”?
-Both a destructive force and a catalyst for purification, rebirth and renewal
-Symbol of hell > satan responsible for this creation of sin in mankind
-fire manipulated to the needs
What effect does the use of anatomy in stanza three?
-What makes up mankind > not just physically but spiritually
-Questioning element of creation
-Elements of mankind > makes mankind and the Tiger intertwined
-Semantic field
-Building the Tiger piece by piece
Why does the speaker focus on the “heart” in stanza three?
-Greek > determinator of life > whether god of Human also as a centre if the soul
How is creation presented in Stanza three?
-fear > power of creation feared and its abilities
-Creation as magnificent > Power of God and the Tiger
“When thy heart began to beat” is the central point of the poem - Why is it significant to start the heart beat here?
-Centre of all creation
-Not all men begin evil > Link to Rousseau “man is born free but everywhere in chains”
How does the Speaker’s tone change in Stanza three?
-Beginning of the more questioning tone
-Questioning both Tiger and God
-Relationship with God
What is significant about using Industrial references of “hammer”, “Chains”, “furnace”, and “Anvil”?
-Midst of Industrial Revolution
-These objects all deal with metal > malleability > Gods ability to change creation > man kinds duality
-Questions God’s abilities to allow this to both the IR and the Tiger
Why is the referral to the “brain” significant in stanza four?
-Brain > hub of thought and creation > questioning morality
What do “dread”, and “Deadly terrors clasp?” signify about creation?
-Helplessness of man in the grand scheme of creation
-Connotations to the negative future of man
What is significant of “what the chains” in stanza 4?
-Tyger chained > to God’s will > can only do as God instructs
How does the Tiger being dangerous and the speaker’s fear link together in stanza 4?
-Presents the curiosity
-Sublime feeling
why is there a change of perspective away from the Tyger in Stanza 5?
-Focus on Temptation and sin within society and God’s effect and control of society > links to Blake’s hate for organised religion
-State of Catharsis
What is significant about the “stars throwing down their spears”?
-Divine wrath > perhaps Gods wrath of the sin and state of mankind and the world
-Allusion to fall of satan
Why does Blake refer to his contrary poem ‘The Lamb’ in stanza 5?
-Show how mankind evolves and the duality within man
-Confusion as to why God can create innocence and destruction > duality of a christian God
How is the Fall of Lucifer presented in “stars throwing down their spears”?
-Lucifer being thrown out of heaven with the others that rebelled against god > perhaps they are the cause of the Tiger
What is the significance of “Tyger! Tiger! Burning bright ….” as the last stanza again?
-Cyclical structure > Cycle of creation is inevitable
-Cyclical > no answers to his question
-Cyclical > how societies flaws have not evolved
Is the Tiger real or imaginative? Evil or Good? Powerful or Powerless? Divine or Mortal? Dangerous or harmless?
-Tyger is presented as everything > unknowingness > Symbol of Blakes uncertainty of the future and God
-God and mankind> Powerlessness of Mankind and Power of God > Intertwined view of humans and god
How is there a link to Hephaestus in Stanza four > Blacksmith who made weapons for war for the Gods?
-God made the Tiger this weapon with these industrial objects
How is there an allegory to the French Revolution in stanza four?
-Moral message
-Tyger representing humanity > wanting freedom of the people from a harsh regime
