William Blake’s `The Tyger` is a poem published in 1794 and it is
a component of the
collection called `Songs of Experience`(1794). It is one of Blake’s most famous poems and it
opposes one of his earlier poems, specifically `The Lamb`, which is included in `Songs of
Innocence` (1789). These two `Songs` are meant to symbolise the two stages of the human being:
the inexperienced, pure one, in the early years of existence, which is gradually replaced by the
experienced, corrupted one as the time passes by.
The opposing principles represented by `The Lamb` and `The Tiger` can be observed
solely by the description of the two representing animals.
On one hand, the lamb is, in Christian tradition, the symbol of Jesus Christ. It
is naïve,inexperienced,pure and defenseless against predatory animals. Typically , a lamb’s
colour is white, which alludes to the principle of goodness.
On the other hand, the tiger is a predatory animal, a cunning hunter, a threat to the lamb.
The colours of its fur are orange and black, which resemble fire , and could allude to the christian
hellfire. It is a destructive and disruptive force, meant to symbolize the principle of evil.
These contradictory principles are the essence to both the external and the internal world
of every person: good and evil, light and dark and, undoubtedly , innocence and experience. The
world as we know it could not exist without these two guiding principles. For the prey there
needs to be a hunter, for the light there needs to be a shadow. Each person can be either a `lamb`
or a `tiger` depending on the given circumstances.
I will begin by discussing the structure of the poem in relation to its message.
Symmetry is the keyword of `The Tyger`’s structure, as it was written in a neat,
regular manner. It consists of 6 stanzas, each one having 4 lines with rhymed couplets. The first
and last stanzas are the same, with the exception that the word `could` in the first stanza is
replaced with `dare` in the last one, which again alludes to the idea of symmetry, of cyclicity.
This same motive is explicitely enforced by the last 2 lines of these two mirroring stanzas: `What
immortal hand or eye/ Could(Dare) frame thy fearful symmetry?` ,which consist of a rhetorical
question addressed to a divine force.
The poem continues in this manner as Blake addresses various questions to the creator of
the tiger. Combining both christian and mythological themes, he begs questions of morality and
spirituality. Could a God create such a creature (evil)? If so, is he the same god that created the
lamb (good)? Is he really a benevolent god if he created both?
The christian themes of the poem are especially highlighted in the fifth stanza of the
poem. The first two lines (`When the stars threw down their spears/ And watered heaven with
their tears`) is a reference to the fall of Satan after the War in Heaven, mentioned in the Book
of Revelation. This could be a reference to John Milton’s `Paradise Lost`, as Milton had been a
major inspiration for Blake (To be noted that Blake wrote a poem called `Milton: A Poem in Two
Books` whose hero is John Milton himself) . The fall of the rebel angels is depicted in Book VI
in `Paradise Lost` as well: `They, astonished, all resistance lost/ All courage, down their
weapons dropt.`
Regarding the verse `Did he who made the lamb make thee?`, the lamb alludes to the
lamb of the poem in Songs of Innocence and may symbolise Jesus Christ (`The Lamb of God`).
With respect to the mythological themes, in the fourth stanza, god is allegorically
associated with a blacksmith who hammers his creations. The use of the terms `furnace`
and `anvil` help depict this image, which could be associated with the myth of Hephaestus (the
god of blacksmiths, fire, metal and metallurgy in Greek mythology).
The imagery of the poem is powerful, swift, bright and dangerous. The tiger is a
ferocious beast surrounded by fire (`burning bright`, `burnt the fire of thine eyes`) showcased in
`the forests of the night`, a dark environment which contrasts the brightness of the tiger. This
contrast may show the two opposing natures of evil: the obvious, overt evil deeds, opposed to the
hidden, less noticeable evil deeds and thoughts that every human is capable of manifesting.
To sum up, `The Tyger` is an allegorical poem which addresses morality and spirituality,
as Blake gradually questions the nature of good and evil or the nature of god. In the end, these
questions are left unanswered by us and himself alike, and humans might not ever reach a
conclusion on these topics. All the answers are nothing but theories. However, what is certain is
the fact that while humans are not able to understand God or his work, they are at least capable
of questioning their own nature, their own `fearful symmetry`, composed of a peculiar mix of
good and bad.
