William Blake
William Blake
1757 – 1827 1757 – 1827
The Tyger and The Lamb were both poems by William Blake. Blake as a child The Tyger and The Lamb were both poems by William Blake. Blake as a child was an outcast, and did not have many friends. He was educated from home by his was an outcast, and did not have many friends. He was educated from home by his parents and fond sociability difficult. His family believed very strongly in God but did parents and fond sociability difficult. His family believed very strongly in God but did not agree with the teaching of the church. During his lonely hours Blake often read not agree with the teaching of the church. During his lonely hours Blake often read read the Bible. He had a lot of free time to think about ideas reflect on life. You could read the Bible. He had a lot of free time to think about ideas reflect on life. You could find a lot of biblical discourse in his poems. Blake published very famous books of find a lot of biblical discourse in his poems. Blake published very famous books of poems:
poems: Songs oSongs of f Experience aExperience and Songnd Songs of s of Innocence. Innocence. Poems Poems from the from the Songs Songs of of Experience are all about the God who brought all the evil and suffering ino the world. Experience are all about the God who brought all the evil and suffering ino the world. The poems from the S
The poems from the Songs of Innocence are aongs of Innocence are about bout the redemptive God of the Nthe redemptive God of the Newew Testament, like Jesus. The Lamb is from the Songs of Innocence and The Tyger is Testament, like Jesus. The Lamb is from the Songs of Innocence and The Tyger is from the Songs of Experience. The Lamb is the contrasting poem to the The Tyger. from the Songs of Experience. The Lamb is the contrasting poem to the The Tyger.
The Lamb
The Lamb
Little
Little Lamb, Lamb, who who made made thee? thee? Little Little Lamb, Lamb, I I ´ll ´ll tell tell thee,thee, Dost
Dost thou thou know know who who made made thee? thee? Little Little Lamb, Lamb, I´ll I´ll tell tell thee.thee. Gave
Gave thee thee life, life, and and bid bid thee thee feed, feed, He He is is called called by by thy thy name,name, By
By the the stream stream and and o´er o´er the the mead mead For For He He calls calls Himself Himself a a Lamb.Lamb. Gave
Gave thee thee clothing clothing of of delight, delight, He He is is meek, meek, and and He He is is mild,mild, Softest
Softest clothing, clothing, woolywooly, , bright, bright, He He became became a a little little child.child. Gave
Gave thee thee such such a a tender tender voice, voice, I I a a child, child, and and thou thou a a lamb,lamb, Making
Making all all the the vales vales rejoice? rejoice? We We are are called called by by His His name.name. Little
Little Lamb, Lamb, who who made made thee? thee? Little Little Lamb, Lamb, God God bless bless thee!thee! Dost
Dost thou thou know know who who made made thee? thee? Little Little Lamb Lamb God God bless bless thee!thee!
The Lamb
The Lamb has has two two stanzas, stanzas, each each containing containing five rhymefive rhymed cd couplets.ouplets. Repetition in the first and
The po
The poem em begibegins with ns with the quthe questioestion: „n: „Little Lamb, who made thee?“ Little Lamb, who made thee?“ TheThe speaker asks the lamb about its origins. In the next stanza, the speaker attempts speaker asks the lamb about its origins. In the next stanza, the speaker attempts a ridding answer to his question: the lamb was made by one who „
a ridding answer to his question: the lamb was made by one who „calls himself calls himself a Lamb
a Lamb“, who is both – the child and the lamb. The poem ends with with the child“, who is both – the child and the lamb. The poem ends with with the child bestowing a blessing on the lamb.
bestowing a blessing on the lamb. This poem is
This poem is a child´s song, in the form of a questiona child´s song, in the form of a questions and answers. The firsts and answers. The first stanza is descriptive and the second focueses on abstract spirituals matters and stanza is descriptive and the second focueses on abstract spirituals matters and contains explanation a
contains explanation and analogynd analogy. The child´s . The child´s question is naive aquestion is naive and profound andnd profound and answer reveals his confidence in his simple Christian faith and his innocent. The answer reveals his confidence in his simple Christian faith and his innocent. The lamb symbolizes Jesus.
lamb symbolizes Jesus.
The traditional image of Jesus as a lamb underscores the Chrisitan values of The traditional image of Jesus as a lamb underscores the Chrisitan values of gentless and peace. The image of the child is associted with Jesus. The child – gentless and peace. The image of the child is associted with Jesus. The child – speaker approa
speaker approaches the ideaches the ideas of nature as of nature and of God. nd of God. This This poem poem accepts whaaccepts what Blaket Blake saw as the more positive aspects of conventional Christian belief. But it does not saw as the more positive aspects of conventional Christian belief. But it does not pro
providvide a e a comcomplepletely tely adeadequaquate te docdoctritrine, bne, becaecause use it fait fails tils to aco accoucount nt for tfor thehe presence of evil in the world. The pendant poem to this one is
presence of evil in the world. The pendant poem to this one is The Tyger The Tyger , taken, taken together, the two poems give a perspective on religion that includes the good and together, the two poems give a perspective on religion that includes the good and clear as well as the terrible and instructable.
clear as well as the terrible and instructable.
The Tyger
The Tyger
T
Tyger! yger! TTyger! yger! Burning Burning bright bright What What the the hammer? hammer? What What the the chain?chain? In
In the the forests forests of of the the night, night, In In what what furnance furnance was was thy thy brain?brain? What
What immortal immortal hand hand or or eye eye What What the the anvil? anvil? What What dread dread graspgrasp Could
Could frame frame thy thy fearful fearful symmetry? symmetry? Dare its Dare its dealy dealy terrors terrors clasp?clasp?
In
In what what distant distant deeps deeps or or skies skies When When the the stars stars threw threw down down their their spearsspears Burnt
Burnt the the fire fire of of thine thine eyes? eyes? And And water´d water´d heaven heaven with with their their tears,tears, On
On what what wings wings dare dare he he aspire? aspire? Did Did he he smile smile his his work work to to see?see? What
What the the hand hand dare dare seize seize the the fire? fire? Did Did he he who who made made the the Lamb Lamb make make thee?thee?
And
And what what shoulder, shoulder, and and what what art, art, TTyger! yger! TTyger! yger! Burning Burning brightbright Could
And
And when when thy thy heart heart began began to to beat, beat, What What immortal immortal hand hand or or eye,eye, What
What dread dread hand? hand? And And what what dread dread feet? feet? Dare Dare frame frame thy thy fearful fearful symmetry?symmetry?
The poem is comprised of six rhymed couplets. It begins with the speaker The poem is comprised of six rhymed couplets. It begins with the speaker asking a tiger what kind of divine being could have created it. „
asking a tiger what kind of divine being could have created it. „What immortal hand What immortal hand or eye could frame they fearful symmetry“.
or eye could frame they fearful symmetry“. Each stanza contains further question.Each stanza contains further question. From
From what what part part of of the the cosmos cosmos could could the the tiger´s tiger´s eyes eyes have have come, come, and and who who wouldwould have dared to han
have dared to handle that fire? The spedle that fire? The speaker wonders howaker wonders how, , once that horibleonce that horible „heart „heart began to beat
began to beat “ its creator would have had the courage to continue the job. And when“ its creator would have had the courage to continue the job. And when the job was done, the speaker wonders, how would the creator have felt?
the job was done, the speaker wonders, how would the creator have felt? „Did he „Did he smile his work to see?“
smile his work to see?“ Could this posCould this possibly be the samsibly be the same being e being who made the who made the lamb?lamb? The opening question enacts what will be the single dramatic gesture of the The opening question enacts what will be the single dramatic gesture of the poem. Blake is buliding on the conventional idea that nature, must in some way poem. Blake is buliding on the conventional idea that nature, must in some way contain a reflection of its creator. The tiger is beautiful yet also horrific in its capacity contain a reflection of its creator. The tiger is beautiful yet also horrific in its capacity for violence.
for violence. What kind of God cWhat kind of God could or would design suould or would design such a terrifying bch a terrifying beats as theeats as the tiger? What does the underiable existence of evil and violence in the world tell us tiger? What does the underiable existence of evil and violence in the world tell us about nature of God, and what does it mean to live in a world where a being can at about nature of God, and what does it mean to live in a world where a being can at once contain both beauty and horor?
once contain both beauty and horor?
The poem takes a symbolic character. It comes to embody the spirituel and The poem takes a symbolic character. It comes to embody the spirituel and moral problem the poem explores: perfectly beautiful and yet perfectly destructive, moral problem the poem explores: perfectly beautiful and yet perfectly destructive, Blake´s tiger becomes the symbolic center for an investigation into the presence of Blake´s tiger becomes the symbolic center for an investigation into the presence of evil in the world. The poem´s series of questions ask what sort of physical creative evil in the world. The poem´s series of questions ask what sort of physical creative capacity the
capacity the „featful symmetry“ „featful symmetry“ of the tiger bespeaks, assumedly only a very strongof the tiger bespeaks, assumedly only a very strong and powerful being could be capable of such a creation. For the poem speaker and powerful being could be capable of such a creation. For the poem speaker addresses not only the question of who could make such a creature as the tiger, but addresses not only the question of who could make such a creature as the tiger, but who would perform it. In the third stanza, the parelelism of
who would perform it. In the third stanza, the parelelism of „shoulder“ „shoulder“ andand „art“ „art“ asas well as the fact that is not just the body but also the
well as the fact that is not just the body but also the „heart“ „heart“ of the tiger that is beingof the tiger that is being forget.
forget.
The reference to the lamb reminds the reader that a figer and a lamb have The reference to the lamb reminds the reader that a figer and a lamb have been created by the same God, and raises questions about the implication of this. It been created by the same God, and raises questions about the implication of this. It also invites a
also invites a contrast between the perspectives of experience and innocencecontrast between the perspectives of experience and innocence represented in the poem „The T
represented in the poem „The Tyger“ and in the poem „The Lamb“. yger“ and in the poem „The Lamb“. Another contrastAnother contrast si contrast
si contrast of the easy coof the easy confidenfidence, in „The Lnce, in „The Lamb“ amb“ with the opewith the open awe of „Then awe of „The Tyger“.
Tyger“. The The is the predator and the lamb the prey ois the predator and the lamb the prey of the tiger. Tf the tiger. The The Tyger brings theyger brings the moo
mood of powed of powerr, dark , dark and daand dangengerourous and Ths and The e LamLamb brinb brings the liggs the light, cleht, clear andar and goodnes. The tiger symbo
goodnes. The tiger symbolized adult and the lamb symbolizelized adult and the lamb symbolized a childhood. d a childhood. The twoThe two creations, the Lamb a
creations, the Lamb and the Tnd the Tiger are not only oposiger are not only oposites, but ites, but they create a they create a paradoxparadox in the mind of speaker. After all, how could a God who created something as soft, in the mind of speaker. After all, how could a God who created something as soft, innocent and pure as the lamb aslo create the tiger, who is characterized as being innocent and pure as the lamb aslo create the tiger, who is characterized as being
such ruthless predator? The Tyger is fifteen questions and no answer. While The such ruthless predator? The Tyger is fifteen questions and no answer. While The Lamb has seven questions, and answers to all
Lamb has seven questions, and answers to all of the questions.of the questions. The message of his p
The message of his poems were fairly obvious. oems were fairly obvious. In a wayIn a way, he asking the same, he asking the same questions many of us find ourselves asking as regards the creation of this universe. questions many of us find ourselves asking as regards the creation of this universe. How did we get here? What purpose do we serve? Blake is attempting to prove by How did we get here? What purpose do we serve? Blake is attempting to prove by the complexity of the creatures of this world that there is indeed a creator God and the complexity of the creatures of this world that there is indeed a creator God and that we are not simply a product of circumstance.