‘The Tyger’ – William Blake Flashcards
what is the general over view for ‘The Tyger’
The poem is directly spoken to a tiger where he questions what creator would make an animal which is beautiful but deadly and another which is so delicate like the lamb. The tiger talks about the wonders of God powers by bringing both good and evil to mankind.
what are the Key themes in ‘The Tyger’
wonder
The mysteries of God’s Creation and the motivation for his design of the world
Why does a loving God allow evil, misery and sorrow to exist in a world that he created?
God’s omnipotence and supremacy
The power of the imagination and the ‘fire’ of creativity
The inequalities within society / nature
what are some language points in the poem ‘The Tyger’
- Imagery of God: ‘immortal hand or eye’
- Image of the tiger: ‘fearful symmetry’.
- Imagery of God: ‘immortal hand or eye’
- Image of the tiger: ‘fearful symmetry’.
- The repetition of the adjective ‘dread’ adds to the sense of mystery and awe.
- Blake uses a common image of God as a blacksmith: ‘hammer’, ‘chain’, ‘furnace’, ‘anvil’.
- The repeated use of questions highlights the speaker’s curiosity and speculation regarding God’s creation of the world and its living creatures.
- Blake uses a common image of God as a blacksmith: ‘hammer’, ‘chain’, ‘furnace’, ‘anvil’.
The repeated use of questions highlights the speaker’s curiosity and speculation regarding God’s creation of the world and its living creatures.
What are some form points in the poem ‘The Tyger’
The symmetrical nature of the first and last stanza reflects the symmetrical nature of the tiger’s distinctive markings, which God has created.
The stanza consists of six quatrains (four line stanzas).
The rhyme scheme is AABB, CCDD, EEFF and so on.
There is a suggestion of half rhyme on ‘eye’ and ‘symmetry’, which creates a sense of tension and unease, thereby adding to our impression of the tiger’s danger and mystery.
What other poems does ‘The Tyger’ link to ?
In terms of comparing the ideas of innocence and violence, ‘The Tyger’ could be compared with ‘Hide and Seek’ or ‘War Photographer’
On the subject of God and religion, Blake’s poem could be compared with Imtiaz Dharker’s ‘Blessing’
Blake’s poem could also be compared to any of those that have a contemplative and philosophical tone such as ‘If’, ‘Prayer before Birth’ and ‘Search for my Tongue’.
