William the lamb was also the creator of

William Blake was known to be a mystic poet
who was curious about the unknowns in the world, and strived to find all the
answers.  Does God create both gentle and
fearful creatures?  As a questioned asked
in the poem “The Tyger” William Blake pondered on why an
all-powerful, loving god would create a vicious predator, the Tiger, after he
created a sweet, timid, harmless animal, the lamb.  The theme of this poem surrounds this idea of
why the same creator would create both a destructive and gentle animal.

The poem opens up with the words, “Tyger Tyger, burning bright,” which in this case makes the words Tyger
appear to the reader as if the author is speaking directly to the Tyger and
sets up the theme of night along with which come darkness and evil.  The words “burning
bright” are used as a comparison to
the Tyger.  Blake chooses fire to be
compared to the Tyger because both are known to be harmful, strong, wild,
forceful, and destructive.  In a way,
they also resemble each other in looks, as a Tyger in the dark, looks like a
fire because of its orange stripes.  The third
and fourth lines aske the first unanswered question: What creator has the
ability to make something with such “fearful
symmetry” (4)?  The second stanza asks the same question but
in a completely different way, wondering where the Tyger came from.  In lines 10 and 20, Blake’s asks two
questions that are far off from the rests: “Did
he smile his work to see? /Did he who made the lamb make thee?” (19, 20) These lines ask if the creator was
happy with his work of such destructive soul, it also asks if the creator of
the lamb was also the creator of the Tyger. 
You can look at this as if Blake was trying to connect the evil Tyger with
the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.  The last
lines aske the same question as the first, who could and who would create the Tyger. 

We Will Write a Custom Essay Specifically
For You For Only $13.90/page!


order now

Rhyme is found all throughout the poem and
has a huge effect on the reader.  Blake Used
rhyme and detail to create an eviler being of the Tyger in the readers mind.  Each stanza is made up of two couplets.  These couplets help keep a steady rhyme that
we the reader tend to feel the Tygers heartbeat while reading through the
poem.  Repetition plays a key role, as it
gives the reader a first look as to what the author considers noteworthy.  For example, the word “dread” is repeated
many times all around the poem, particularly in lines 12 and 15.  Because this word is used many times in the
poem, it draws the reader’s attention
and contributes even more to the image of the Tyger in the readers mind. The
first and last stanzas form an introduction and conclusion.  The differences between these lines get the
reader’s attention and points out
significant ideas that lead up to the meaning of the poem.  There was a change in words in the last
stanza, “dare” was put instead of “could.”  This changes the speaker’s intention so he is now not only asking
what kind of God could create something so evil, but would create something as
evil as the Tyger.

 Allusion
is also an important part of this poem because of the way the author uses it to
connect to the outside works that may also encourage the reader to think in a
certain way that goes along with the themes of the poem.  The first allusion, found in lines 7 and 8,
are to the greek gods Icarus and Prometheus. 
This allusion requires the readers to think about gods and religion,
which is a major part of the theme of this poem.  Another allusion I see is in line 20, which
refers to another one of Blake’s poems, “The Lamb.”  This allusion is significant because the
speaker asks, “Did he
who made the Lamb make thee?” (20)  and he wonders whether or not the same creator
who made something so gentle and pure could also make such an evil being.  The allusion itself brings the reader to
think about the other poems and to contrast the two completely different
messages. 

 The significates in “The Tyger”
is strong and allows the reader to find the deeper meaning in the poem.  The Tyger stands for darkness and evil, and
on the other hand, the lamb is the exact opposite.  The mention of the blacksmith in lines 13-16
symbolize the creator.  This
representation has a big effect on the poem because it makes the poem about
something more than just animals and creation, but about the debate of God
creating something evil.  All of these
techniques are put together to create imagery that shows the Tyger as a malicious
and evil animal, and the question of whether or not God could create such a destructible
monster is never completely answered. 
Through evaluating this poem, the reader comes to understand that it is
not truly about the Tyger, but about its maker. 
Even with so many literary devices used to enhance the reader’s understanding, the final question is still
left with no clear response: did the same God create both the Tyger and the
lamb? 

Author: admin

x

Hi!
I'm Mia!

Don't know how to start your paper? Worry no more! Get professional writing assistance from me.

Check it out