The Tyger by William Blake : Detailed summary and critical analysis

Tyger Tyger, burning bright, 

In the forests of the night; 

What immortal hand or eye, 

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies. 

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat.

What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? what dread grasp.

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears 

And water'd heaven with their tears:

Did he smile his work to see?

Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,

In the forests of the night:

What immortal hand or eye,

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

 

 

Stanza 1

The speaker directly addresses a tiger and its striking bright color burns the dark night. William Blake’s tiger is a passionate, fiery creature. It is a creature, a beast, who lives in the shadows and dark hours of life. Some have considered this tiger represents the dark aspects of the human soul. This is the beastly or rather demonic part of ourselves that we would prefer to keep only in subconscious or our dreams at night if it has to be anywhere. Night in Blake’s poetry often seems to suggest this sort of dream time. The forests might represent the wild landscape of our imagination under the influence of this beast.

“What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?” these lines in fact remind the beginning of the poem ‘The lamb’ contrastively.  In doing this we can begin to compare the nature of a lamb to a tiger, and begin to understand Blake’s philosophy about creation. The fact that perhaps the same immortal hand created both the mild and delicate nature of the lamb, and the wild characteristic of the tiger is frightening in a way. There is a balance there, in the creation. A sense of surprize is discernible here.

  

Stanza 2

With this wonder the speaker asks in which far-off depths or skies the tiger's fiery eyes were made. This immortal creator is daring enough to aspire anything and his hand can simply seize the fire.  In contrast to the pastoral setting of the innocent lamb, the tiger is born out of the depths of consciousness. Again, Blake uses the metaphor of fire to describe the way the tiger sees and is seen.

 

 

 Stanza 3

The speaker thinks about the skill and effort required for making such a dangerous creature. Indeed, the creator is as much stronger enough to frame this sort of powerful muscular body. Soon after getting life to tiger it became the wonder. Thus the speaker again praises the faculty of the creator’s hand and feet.

 

 Stanza 4

The creation of this furious tiger is metaphorically expressed through the image of an industrial factory. As the images like hammer, chain and furnace constitute a typical industrial ambiance. It was the time of industrial revolution and thereby the pastoral world began to change rapidly as the result of industrial intrusion. That’s why Blake employed the images related to factory. 

The speaker again wonders about the tools like hammer and chain for the tiger's creation and imagines that the tiger's brain was created in a furnace. Again the sense of wonder intensifies by saying: what a symmetrical shape? (anvil), what a firm movement? (dread grasp) and what a powerful deadly hand? (terror clasp).

  

Stanza 5

“When the stars threw down their spears And water'd heaven with their tears:” These lines reminds the biblical incident of fallen angel Lucifer. Who rebelled against the supremacy of God by questioning him. Their battle had been over making angels superior to humanity in God’s eyes, but God refused. As a result he was expelled from heaven and condemned to hell. Some angels shed their tears and remained inactive for a moment. Sometime the creator God almighty may be smiling because everything happened as his own will. 

 The speaker again expresses his sense of wonder and asks: “Did he who made the Lamb make thee?”

 

Stanza 6

The speaker again addresses the tiger and God's daring attempt to create such an intimidating shape.