The Tyger (A)

The Tyger (A)

William Blake
Romantics
Speaker's addressing tiger
1. Asking what being could'v created it
Compares Creator to blacksmith
1. "burnt the fire" (6) "twist" (10) "hammer" "chain" (13) "furnace" (14) "anvil" (15)
2. Traditional image of artistic creation
Blake's building on the idea that nature contains the reflection of its creator
1. God created man in his own image
A tiger
1. Beautiful, but has terrible capacity for violence
  1. What kind of God would create such a terrifying beast?
    1. What does the existence of evil/violence in the world tell us about God?
      1. Do we live in a world where one thing can have both beauty & horror?
    2. Creative responsibility & will
2. Symbolizes spiritual & moral problems
  1. Perfectly beautiful but perfectly destructive
3. Symbol of presence of evil in world
(1) Asks what entity had the capacity/ability to create such a creature
1. "What immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?" (3-4)
(2) Asks what entity dared create such a creature
1. "What immortal hand or eye, dare frame thy fearful symmetry?" (23-24)
Creator's forging of the tiger
1. Physical, laborius, deliberate action
  1. Emphasizes tiger's power
  2. Couldn't have accidently created it
  3. Shows God's strength

Resource summary

	Created by field.sophie over 10 years ago