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Melody Kellogg (Ortloff)

2 March 1998

Intro to Literary Studies

Dr. Conrow

The Dark Meaning of "The Tyger"

"The Tyger"

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 5

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? 10

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 15

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? 20

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye,

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

(808)

William Blake's poem "The Tyger" can be very difficult to read and interpret. Upon first analysis, it could be seen interpreted very literally as being simply about a tiger in the forest at night. Yet, the reader feels that the Tyger, among other images, means something more than its literal representation. In fact, "The Tyger" is full of symbolism and imagery, which contribute to the dark meaning of the poem.

The most obvious symbol in this poem is that of the Tyger. To realize what it symbolizes, one must look at many elements of the poem, including the other symbols and images that compose the majority of the work. Also, one must consider Blake's tone in the poem.

To begin, the first two lines of the poem set the stage for what will follow. "Tyger! Tyger! burning bright / In the forests of the night." The image of "forests of the night" calls to mind several things. First of all, this could be seen as being simply a very frightening image, one that would set the tone for the rest of the poem. Anyone who has been in a forest at night knows that it is a scary place to be. The trees loom overhead, strange sounds can be heard, and bizarre shadows flicker. This picture also invokes feelings of being lost or helpless. Yet, a more interesting way of viewing this image would be that the "forests of the night" represent human nature, and the Tyger "burning bright" in it is the evil that lurks in the human heart.

The interpretation of the Tyger as being the embodiment of evil is also supported by the mention of "the Lamb" in line 20. Traditionally, the lamb is a symbol of good, purity, and innocence. When Blake asks the question, "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" (ln 20), he is asking whether the being who created innocence and good could also have created evil. By introducing the image of a lamb, which most people perceive as being good, he is, in effect, explaining the meaning of the Tyger by contrasting it with its opposite. The Lamb is good, therefore the Tyger is evil.

This analysis of the Tyger being evil can be taken a step further. One might be able to deduce that the Tyger is a symbol of the Devil. Again, the contrast with the Lamb comes into play here. In the Bible, Christ is often referred to as a lamb, and occasionally as The Lamb. Since Blake capitalizes the word "Lamb," we may be led to believe that he is referring, in fact, to Christ. Again, the Tyger is seen as being the opposite of the Lamb. Therefore, it would stand to reason that the Tyger symbolizes the opposite of Christ: Satan. This interpretation is further supported by much of the imagery in the poem, especially the many references to fire and burning. For example, "burning bright" (ln 1), "In what distant deeps or skies / Burnt the fire of thine eyes?"(ln 5-6), "What the hand dare seize the fire?" (ln 8), and "In what furnace was thy brain?" (ln 14). These images conjure up a picture of the fires of hell. Also, the image of a forge prevails over most of the poem, leading the reader to believe that the Tyger was created in these fires. What other being but Satan would be created in the flames of Hades?

The tone and style in the poem contribute greatly to the impression that the Tyger is evil, or in fact Satan. Throughout the work, Blake uses words that inspire a feeling of fear and tension. For example, "fearful symmetry" (ln 4), "dread hand...dread feet" (ln 12), and "deadly terrors" (ln 16). The reader feels almost a chill as he reads, due to this dark and macabre tone. Since the tone is so sinister, one cannot help but feel that the poem is describing something evil.

Another striking element of "The Tyger" is its use of colors to contribute to the feeling of darkness that permeates it. As I have discussed earlier, the image of fire is used extensively, along with the image of a forge. The icons of the hammer, chain, and anvil in stanza four all contribute to the mental picture of the forge. But what do all these items have in common? They are all black. The color black is contrasted by the fiery reds that are evoked by the references to flame and burning. This red-and-black theme that runs throughout the poem gives the reader a feeling of darkness, again supporting the interpretation that the Tyger symbolizes evil.

In short, "The Tyger" is a very dark and foreboding poem. The images and symbols that permeate it leave the reader chilled, and wondering about the meaning of the poem. Since the entire poem is written in open-ended questions, Blake leaves it to the reader to decide upon the interpretation. However, I believe that most people would agree that the main symbol of the story, the Tyger, is a representation of evil.

Work Cited

Blake, William. "The Tyger." Literature: The Evolving Canon. Ed. Sven P. Birkets. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1996. 808.

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