William Blake’s “The Tyger”
- Introduction
- Review
- Conclusion
In William Blake’s “The Tyger,” he questions, multiple times throughout, how the tiger was created – ultimately, it is up to the reader to draw his or own conclusion. Blake’s questioning of who created the tiger and how the tiger was created is the central theme of this poem. As a result, answering the many questions created by the author is important to discuss.
One way the author asks determining how the tiger was created is with the first line: “Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright/ In the forests of the night.” This immediately gives the reader an idea to as to what qualities the tiger possesses. The words, “Tiger! Tiger!,” for example, allow the reader to vividly imagine a large, carnivorous cat. As a result, one can infer that the creation within the poem is a ferocious animal. “Burning bright” implies that the tiger the creator has just constructed is glowing very bright—so much so that it is emitting eye-piercing rays of light. “In the forests of the night” has the vibe of a creepy, eerie location with only the trees and stars above being your guide. Consequently, one can surmise that the tiger is in an area surrounded by an innumerable amount of trees with the only light in the air being the flash that the tiger emits. There is an instance of initial alliteration, also: “burning bright”. These two words together create a plosive suggesting emphasis and they also help the reader vividly imagine the tiger emitting hordes of light.
[...] William Blake’s “The Tyger” is a poem of ambiguity. Although Blake makes no mention of a particular creator, one is to decide if Blake is speaking about a God or Satan-like being. Many conclude that it is a God- like creature--the irony with this is that the immortal being is creating a Hell-esque creature that is to be unleashed upon man. With the many questions ultimately up to the reader to interpret, this poem is one of the most popular for its particular time period. [...]
[...] Feet are body parts that allow one to move about. Again, what person is using his feet to move while creating the tiger? Moreover, the sound or feeling this section of the poem is a sense of uneasiness. Once one realizes how fierce and ferocious the tiger is, the feeling is apprehensiveness in regards to the creation of the tiger itself. Next, the author asks what tools were used to construct the tiger: “What the hammer? What the chain, / In what furnace was thy brain”. [...]
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