William Blake: The Tyger

Hareshwar Roy,
William Blake: The Tyger

William Blake’s ‘The Tyger’ is a powerful and mysterious lyric poem from his 1794 collection, Songs of Experience. Written with a driving, urgent rhythm, the poem explores the dark and terrifying side of creation. Through a series of gripping questions addressed to a fierce tiger burning in the night, Blake questions how the same gentle God who created the innocent lamb could also craft such a powerful and dangerous creature.

TEXT: 

William Blake: The Tyger

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?

Glossary:

Frame: To shape, build, or create.
Symmetry: Balanced, neat, and beautiful arrangement of parts.
Deeps: Deep places, like the ocean depths or the underworld.
Sinews: Strong tissues that join muscles to bones.
Anvil: A heavy iron block used by blacksmiths to shape metal.
Dread: Great fear, terror, or awe-inspiring power.

Notes:

Tone and Style: The poem uses a fast, rhythmic, and chanting meter that mimics the pounding of a blacksmith's hammer, creating a feeling of intense energy and suspense.

Symbolism of the Tyger: The tiger represents experience, raw power, energy, fear, and the mysterious, terrifying forces of the universe that cannot be easily explained.

Connection to ‘The Lamb’: This poem serves as the dark counterpart to Blake's earlier poem ‘The Lamb.’ While the lamb represents innocence and gentle mercy, the tiger represents experience, wrath, and the fierce side of divine creation.
Location: B-37, City Homes Colony, Jawahar Nagar Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India
Dr. Hareshwar Roy beautifully connects global research with local literature. Born in 1964 in Jamuaon (Bhojpur, Bihar), he studied at Patna University and earned his Ph.D. from APS University, Rewa. Currently, he serves as Professor of English at Government P.G. College Satna, Madhya Pradesh. Dr. Roy bridges two worlds: in class, he explains international migration and literary history, while in his heart, he keeps the rich spirit of the Bhojpuri language alive. He has published over 45 research papers focused on Indian Diaspora Writing. As an author in English, he has written Diasporic Articulation in the Novels of M.G. Vassanji, A Study of M.G. Vassanji's Novels, Varieties of Indianity in the Works of M.G. Vassanji and Rohinton Mistry, Diaspora and Indian Diaspora: A Brief Study, Short Notes of English Literature - I and Short Notes of English Literature - II. Rooted in his soil, he is a celebrated Bhojpuri poet featured on 'Kavita Kosh' and in popular collections like Hamar Pahchan Ha Bhojpuri, Hamra Pyar Ho Gail, and Bhojpuri Kavitayein. Ultimately, his life and writings serve as an inspiring example of how academic scholarship and local roots thrive together perfectly.

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