William Blake · England · 1794
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 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 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?
William Blake · England · 1794
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 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 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?
“Tyger, tyger, burning bright…”
Blake presents us with a tiger—a creature of terrifying beauty and power—and asks a profound question: who could have created something so fearsome and perfectly formed? The poet is mesmerized by the animal's intensity, imagining the cosmic forces and divine craftsmanship required to bring such a creature into being. This isn't simply a nature poem; it's a meditation on creation itself.
“In what distant deeps or skies…”
Through vivid imagery of fire, forges, and celestial battles, Blake explores the mystery of how such a powerful, dangerous being could exist in our world. He wonders about the maker's intentions and moral character. The repeated questions create a sense of awe mixed with unease—we're forced to consider whether beauty and terror are two sides of the same coin, and whether the creator of such perfection is benevolent or something more ambiguous.
“And what shoulder and what art…”
What makes this poem so enduring is its deeper spiritual inquiry. By contrasting the tiger with the lamb (a symbol of gentleness and Christ-like innocence), Blake challenges us to think about duality in creation: good and evil, beauty and danger, mercy and wrath. The poem suggests that the universe contains forces we struggle to understand, and that creation itself may be more complicated and mysterious than our simple categories allow. It's a work that respects the sublime power of nature while questioning the cosmic order.
“What the hammer? what the chain?…”
What makes this poem so enduring is its deeper spiritual inquiry. By contrasting the tiger with the lamb (a symbol of gentleness and Christ-like innocence), Blake challenges us to think about duality in creation: good and evil, beauty and danger, mercy and wrath. The poem suggests that the universe contains forces we struggle to understand, and that creation itself may be more complicated and mysterious than our simple categories allow. It's a work that respects the sublime power of nature while questioning the cosmic order.
“When the stars threw down their spears,…”
What makes this poem so enduring is its deeper spiritual inquiry. By contrasting the tiger with the lamb (a symbol of gentleness and Christ-like innocence), Blake challenges us to think about duality in creation: good and evil, beauty and danger, mercy and wrath. The poem suggests that the universe contains forces we struggle to understand, and that creation itself may be more complicated and mysterious than our simple categories allow. It's a work that respects the sublime power of nature while questioning the cosmic order.
“Tyger, tyger, burning bright…”
What makes this poem so enduring is its deeper spiritual inquiry. By contrasting the tiger with the lamb (a symbol of gentleness and Christ-like innocence), Blake challenges us to think about duality in creation: good and evil, beauty and danger, mercy and wrath. The poem suggests that the universe contains forces we struggle to understand, and that creation itself may be more complicated and mysterious than our simple categories allow. It's a work that respects the sublime power of nature while questioning the cosmic order.
Why this poem matters
Blake wrote this poem in 1794 during the height of the Romantic period, a time when poets were fascinated by nature's raw power and the limits of human understanding. The poem appears in his collection "Songs of Innocence and of Experience," which explores contrasts between childhood wonder and adult disillusionment. Blake's visionary style and his questions about creation reflect both his spiritual mysticism and his reaction against Enlightenment rationalism.