“The Tiger” by William Blake
Tiger Tiger, 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, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? and 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?
Tiger Tiger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
About the poem “The Tiger” by William Blake
Summary of The Tiger
First published in 1794 as part of William Blake’s collection Songs of Experience, “The Tiger” (often modernized as “The Tyger”) is one of the most iconic and enduring poems in the English literary canon. The poem opens with the unforgettable line:
“Tiger Tiger, burning bright / In the forests of the night”
This vivid image sets the stage for a series of philosophical inquiries into the nature of creation, beauty, and terror. The speaker marvels at the tiger’s awe-inspiring presence, contemplating what kind of divine or immortal being could “frame thy fearful symmetry.”
Throughout the poem, Blake asks repeated questions—where the tiger’s fire came from, who dared to forge its sinews, what hammer or chain shaped its brain, and whether the same creator could have also made the gentle lamb. The poem ends with a slightly altered repetition of the opening lines, drawing attention to the tiger’s powerful mystery.
Analysis of The Tiger
Blake’s “The Tiger” is a profound meditation on the duality of existence—particularly the coexistence of beauty and danger, good and evil, innocence and experience. The tiger is a metaphor for something divine yet fearsome: a creature so perfectly made that its very existence forces the reader to question the nature of its creator.
The Question of Divine Intent
Blake questions not only how the tiger was created but why. Is the being who made the lamb—the symbol of innocence—also responsible for the tiger, a symbol of ferocity and destruction? This dualism aligns with the poet’s broader vision, contrasting Songs of Innocence with Songs of Experience, and challenging readers to think beyond simplified notions of good and evil.
Industrial Imagery
Lines like:
“What the hammer? what the chain, / In what furnace was thy brain?”
suggest a blacksmith’s forge, evoking images of industrial labor and craftsmanship. This metaphor may represent the creative process—or possibly, in a more existential interpretation, the brutal mechanisms of the universe or divine will. Blake’s use of such imagery also reflects early anxieties about the Industrial Revolution and humanity’s growing detachment from nature and spirituality.
Sound and Structure
Blake’s use of trochaic meter (a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one) gives the poem a rhythmic, chant-like quality. The rhyming couplets make the poem feel almost like a nursery rhyme, heightening the contrast between its melodic form and its unsettling content. This contrast is essential to its power—it reads beautifully but asks terrifying, unanswerable questions.
Blake’s Legacy in Arizona Poetry
William Blake’s “The Tiger” has transcended centuries and cultures, continuing to inspire poets today—including those working in Arizona. The poem is notably referenced in Aaron Hopkins-Johnson’s “Alzheimer’s Poetry Project”, a piece that explores memory, identity, and language through intergenerational and literary lenses. The reference to Blake in this contemporary work speaks to the poem’s lasting relevance—especially its grappling with the mysteries of creation and perception.
Why William Blake Appears on AZPoetry.com
While William Blake never set foot in Arizona, his influence is echoed in the voices of modern Arizona poets. His questioning of divine order, poetic experimentation, and emotional complexity continue to inspire poets across the state. By including Blake in our Classic Poetry collection, we highlight the lineage of ideas that flow from great literary traditions into the creative currents of the Southwest.
Explore more classic poems referenced by Arizona poets and discover contemporary voices like Aaron Hopkins-Johnson, who draw on Blake’s influence in their own distinctive ways.