Nick and Anthony Bongiorno, Peter Burke

 William Blake was born in London on  Blake was the third of five children.  Blake’s father, James, was a hosier, a person who makes or deals in hose or stockings or goods knitted or woven like hose.  William Blake was noticed for his drawing skills.  Blake was an apprentice to engraver James Basire at age 14.

 William Blake claimed to have visions when he was 10.  Blake claimed that he could talk to spirits.  Blake married Catherine Boucher in  Together they created poems and drawings called “Songs of Innocence.”  Blake was influenced by his brother, Robert that died of Tuberculosis.  Blake was not publicly recognized when he was alive.

 One of his poems, Milton, part of it became the “unofficial Christian Anthem of English Nationalism.”  His first masterpieces were The Book of Thel and Songs of Innocence.

 His brother was an influence to Blake because he died when he was 20 to Tuberculosis.  Another Influence is that Blake claimed to have visions and he claimed he could talk to spirits.  He was very Religious.  He lived through the romanticism period.

THE TYGER (from Songs Of Experience) By William Blake  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 sieze 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 watered 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?

 Rhyme Scheme: AA BB BB BB CC CC DD EE FF GG AA BB.  Syllable Count: Each line is 7 Syllables.

 Slant Rhyme Ex. What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry?  Alliteration Ex. On what wings dare he aspire?  Repetition Ex. And what shoulder, & what art  Slant Rhyme Ex. What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry?  Alliteration Ex. On what wings dare he aspire?  Repetition Ex. And what shoulder, & what art

 Symmetry-beauty based on or characterized by such excellence of proportion.  Sinew-a tendon.  Anvil-a heavy iron block with a smooth face, frequently of steel, on which metals, usually heated until soft, are hammered into desired shapes.

 This poem refers to a time of revolutions.  There were two main revolutions that were going on at this time.  There was the French Revolution, and when he was younger there was the American Revolution.  This poem also references the bible.  The September Massacre is also a reference in the poem.

 The French and American revolution shows that man can cause destruction and death.  The September Massacre is when a lot of innocent people, such as priest, women and children were murdered.  His religion was a reference in the poem because in the fifth stanza he uses a lot of reference to his religion.

 The first stanza talks about the beauty of a tiger. It also talks about the ferociousness of the tiger.  The second stanza questions where the tiger was made. He asks if it was made in the deepest depth, or the highest points.

 The third stanza questions who made the tiger. He asks who would make something that was so destructive.  The fourth stanza questions how the tiger was made. He compares it being made to a blacksmith.

 The fifth stanza talks about how God cast down Lucifer from heaven. It has the theme of good vs. evil. He also asks if god was pleased with the creation of the tiger. He also says that the God made a lamb, innocent creature, but he also made the tiger.

 The sixth stanza repeats the first stanza. However it has a word changed in the last line. The word that changes is “could” to “Dare” and the meaning is who would make something beautiful, but so destructive.

 The meaning that William Blake is saying is that God made a creature that was beautiful, but it was evil. He questions where the tiger was made, who made the tiger, and how was the tiger made. He also explains how god had banished evil from heaven, but he made something that was evil.

 The Tiger symbolizes the destruction and death caused by man.  He is asking why would god make something evil when god himself is good.  He uses the story of God casting down Lucifer to show the theme of good vs. evil.

 ake.htm ake.htm    yger.html yger.html  romantic.htm romantic.htm  poetry-analysis-the-tyger-by-william-blake