The tyger

Question 1

‘the tyger’

Answer 1

contrasts a poem called ‘the lamb’. the lamb explores the innocence of mankind whereas the tyger incites fear.
Blake showing another side to man kind. focus on the god not the animal. poem explores what kind of god created an animal like the tyger

Question 2

Tyger, tyger burning bright

Answer 2

first line reads like a nursery line especially with alliteration of the ‘T’s and ‘B’s
ironic as content of poem is very complex deceiving you into thinking its something quite simple
fiery image of burning bright emphasises danger but also beauty- represents how we feel about tigers

Question 3

‘forest of the night’

Answer 3

helps create mysterious environment, reflects mystery of god for blake. Poem is about blake exploring what god might be

Question 4

‘what immortal hand…. could frame thy fearful symmetry?’

Answer 4

allusions to divine by using word ‘immortal’ so we know the focus of these questions is what kind of god created this ‘fearful symmetry’
juxtaposes fearful and symmerty- fearful = fear and danger but symmetry suggest Blake is in awe of what created the tiger- skilled creator and gave good attention to detail.
‘?’ at the end of each question emphasises how blake is intrigued

Question 5

‘distant deeps or skies’

Answer 5

creates allusions to heaven and hell. what kind of god is he? good or evil that could create such an evil creature

Question 6

‘burnt the fire of thine eyes?’

Answer 6

suggests that they tyger was created out of fire (hence the coat of the tyger) but also creates image of daring god which is willing to play with fire.
(image of man kind) God took a great risk of creating a ferocious creature- one of free will

Question 7

‘twist’

Answer 7

stanzas focus is on the god moulding the tyger
could be play on word by highlighting the heart of mankind being corrupted and twisted

Question 7

on what wings dare he aspire?, what the hand dare seize the fire?

Answer 7

could potentially be referring to Daedalus and Icarus who created wings to escape captors, known for breaking rules - rebellious god
Prometheus- who stole fire from gods to give to humanity to encourage humanity to evolve.
was the god who created the tyger rebellious or did he create something to be rebellious
continuation of ? emphasises how intrigued blake is with the concept of god

Question 8

‘what dread hand? and what dread feet?’

Answer 8

repetition of dread questions did the creator fear what they created

Question 9

hammer, chain, furnace, anvil

Answer 9

metaphor to describe god as a blacksmith, a god that made weapons for war (Hephaestus). created mankind that is capable for great evil or great destruction

Question 10

stars threw down their spheres

Answer 10

metaphors for angels, did they protest (personification) the creation of the tyger (humankind)- were they fearful of what humankind could do

Question 10

did he who made the lamb make thee

Answer 10

proposes the questions what kind of god capable of making a meek animal such as the lamb chooses to create an animal as ferocious as the tiger. duality of the christian god - a god so punishing yet so forgiving

lamb could also be a metaphor for jesus. - did he who made someone as wonderful as jesus christ making something so flawed and evil (compared to jesus) humankind

Question 10

‘dread’ ‘dare its deadly’

Answer 10

alliteration on d adds to the horror of what was created- further emphasised by the explanation mark

Question 11

last stanza

Answer 11

repetition highlights Blakes questions will never be answered. He will always go back to questioning the same thing. However, blake could be celebrating the complexity of god and is in awe

Question 11

dare frame thy fearful symmetry

Answer 11

compares the first stanza where the word was could instead of dare. Not questioning what god is capable o creating but questioning why he would dare do it. He’s a god that takes risks and plays with fire, does it regret it or was it his intention.

Question 12

Form and structure

Answer 12

6 quatrains in rhyming couplets AABB

trochaic tetrameter- goes from stressed to unstressed syllables in each line
tetrameter mirrors nursery rhyme however it could also sounds like a blacksmith hammering away

whole of poem is series of rhetorical question which is never answered- highlights complexity of nature

Blake is focusing of god not the tiger, referring to
tiger:
what kind of god could make a sheep compared to a tiger
or
mankind:
what kind of god could make jesus compared to mankind