The Tyger

-          William Blake

William Blake is the author of the poem ‘The Tyger’. He is considered to be a pioneer of the Romantic Movement. ‘The Tyger’ belongs to a collection of his poems entitled “Songs of Experience”. In this poem Blake admires the creator (God) and his creation (tiger).

First, the poet is struck by the brightness of the tiger’s eyes. He says that the tiger’s eyes are ‘burning bright’ like re-hot coals glowing in fire. He wonders that such a fire in the eyes might have been taken from the ever-burning fire in hell or from the lightning flashing in the sky. Thus the tiger is associated with hell and heaven.

Next the poet admires the capacity of the Creator. He is amazed by the inordinate strength of the Creator. The Maker must have had powerful muscular shoulders and excellent artistic powers to design such an animal like tiger. He stresses that the Maker’s hand must have been dreadful to make the tiger’s heart and its body

The poet imagines the tools such as hammer, chain, anvil and furnace which the Maker could have used to make the animal. The tools must have been equally powerful as the Creation was a remarkable one. With a mixed mood of thrill and dread, the poet visualizes the moment when, after creating the tiger’s body. The Creator breathed life into it. God created the animal with joy but the angels filled with terror.  

The poet suggests two responses about the creation of the tiger. One is the shock and confusion of the angels, as they view the terrible tiger stalking freely. They threw down their spears at the tigers to safeguard themselves. Their efforts to kill the tiger end in vain. The angels are overcome by despair and shedding tears helplessly. God smiles at the angels because they do not understand the good that would be born out of the evil tiger in the long run.

In the end of the poem, the poet is puzzled by God’s creative act, because The God who made the Lamb, made the Tiger. The poet has many questions about God’s creation, so he ends the poem not with answer but with question.

                                                   ‘Did he who made the Lamb make thee?’