The Tyger by William Blake Summary
The Tyger by William Blake Summary is a beautiful poem composed by William Blake, a prophet and liberator of the human spirit. He was a poet and painter of a genius bent. He was the first to introduce a romantic note of mysticism in English poetry.
As an artist, he is limited by his arbitrary methods, and by an absence of discipline, He was the most lonely of all poets and lived in his own world peopled by phantoms and specters whom he regarded as more real than dull realities of the physical world.
He is best known for his famous works, “poetical sketches Songs of innocence and songs of experience which contain some of the most precious gems of English lyricism. The given poem is an extract from “Songs of Experience“.
The Tyger poem analysis
The sense of the poet’s surprise and amazement has been described in The Tiger’. Tiger is a symbol of ferocious beauty as well as immense energy The poet is amazed at the sight of the tiger. He finds a ferociously burning fire in the eyes of the tiger that gives it a frightening look.
The poet thinks that the fire infused in the eyes of the tiger must not have been readily available to God He is the embodiment of gentleness, innocent, and self-sacrifice.
Hence the poet is of the opinion that the Almighty God must have brought this fire either from the extreme depth of the ocean or from far-off skies. Before creating such a beautiful but fearful symmetry of the tiger God must have thought deeply about it.
The Tyger poem Meaning
Now only the eyes but also the shoulders, sinews, heart-mind, and legs of the tiger are equally strong and dreadful. The creator must have applied all his skill and art in creating the tiger.
The poet has compared the work of the creation of the tiger with that of the work of a blacksmith. A blacksmith takes the help of a different tool while making the ironware. God must have also used these tools namely the hammer.
The chain, the furnace, and the anvil while creating the fearful symmetry of the tiger. Hence the wisdom of God enjoyed him to create this terrible animal and thus it is part of his creation.
Now the poet gives the reference to the lamb which is the symbol of innocence, purity, gentleness, benevolence, and self-sacrifice. It is the lamb that is at the center of the Christian view of life.
Christ himself has been seen in the image of the lambs he sacrificed himself for the good of humanity. But the creation of the tiger in the world of the lamb never seems befitting.
As such the stars who are the guard of the cosmos become angry with God as they feel themselves helping in maintaining the status quo. Hence they start showing resentment by throwing down their spears.
The Tyger poem analysis line by line
At the same time, they also start shedding produce tears his a result heaven is wanted. Even God is happy. He smiles at the creation of the tiger which proves that he has approved of his new creation.
In fact, some cosmic disaster associated with the creation is suggested here. The tiger is kin to the combined suggestion of any wonders.
The ultimate vision of the universe is neither simple nor easy, and the tiger of the wrath is wiser than the horses of instructions. The innocence of the lamb is impossible in the world of experience.
The given poem is an unorthodox one that deals with an unorthodox theme. Amazement dominates the whole poem and as such the poem is called amazement itself.
The poet has composed the poem with a view to convincing the readers that the ferocious and frightening energies of the universe and also a part of God’s Grand Design as innocence, purity and sell sacrifice. Hence Jesus Christ should be accepted and worshiped not only in the form of the lamb but also in the form of a tiger.
In brief, Christ is both a larb and a tiger. As a lamb, he teaches the lesson of innocence; gentleness, and self-sacrifice to humanity. But as a tiger, he checks the growth of corruption, prevention, and degeneration.
