Introduction
The poem “The Tiger” (otherwise called “The Tyger”) by William Blake is one of the most known and analyzed pieces of literature in the English language. The author’s work is a part of two poems that present two animals – the tiger and the lamb – as two distinctly different creatures existing on Earth. In “The Tiger,” Blake uses a unique structure by building a poem exclusively out of questions – the narrator appears to be the author talking to the tiger.
Throughout the poem, Blake describes the tiger, talking about its eyes, feet, skin, and claws, presenting every part of the animal as threatening. This unique approach exposes the author’s confusion about the existence of the tiger and the animal’s nature. Through the poem “The Tiger,” Blake questions the creation of evil by God. The poem’s questions ask whether God was the one who made both good and evil and how such different creatures can coexist in the world.
Discussion
The description of the tiger in the questions shows how conflicted the narrator is. On the one hand, the tiger is beautiful and captivating, describing the animal’s appearance as having a “fearful symmetry” (Blake, 2017, p. 861). The tiger’s eyes are resemblant to “fire,” and the animal “burns bright” in the dark forests, which can be a metaphor for the predator’s orange fur and black stripes.
Thus, Blake still sees the tiger as a part of nature and wonderful creation, asking who could – was capable of – framing such beauty. He asks, “What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?” (Blake, 2017, p. 861). This question supports the idea that God – an immortal and omnipotent being – could be responsible for the tiger’s existence. However, as the author poses a question rather than making a declarative statement, one may argue that Blake is unsure whether God would create the tiger.
On the other hand, the beauty of the tiger is juxtaposed with its essence as a dangerous predator. Blake continues questioning the existence of this animal by asking, “And what shoulder, and what art, / Could twist the sinews of thy heart?” (Blake, 2017, p. 862). In these lines, the twisting of the sinews may describe the “evil” nature of the tiger – its inherent desire to hunt and kill prey (Ceramella, 2020).
The tiger also has “dread feet,” and the animal’s brain has “deadly terrors” within (Blake, 2017, p. 862). Thus, the predator’s existence is connected to its danger to others, and the tiger’s behavior is framed as threatening to other creatures made by God. Here, the questions further confuse the narrator’s beliefs about who created the tiger and why the animal exists. Through these descriptions, Blake may talk about other creatures that pose a danger to the world and extend this discussion to the idea of evil and its origin.
In the final stanzas, Blake questions how God, if he created the tiger, viewed its existence, thus revealing the conflict between God’s benevolence and the presence of evil in the world. This philosophical question is a part of theological discussions that describe God as omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, meaning that he knows all, can do anything, and is good (Ceramella, 2020).
At the same time, evil exists in the world and leads to disasters, death, and suffering (Gido et al., 2022). In the poem, Blake (2017) wonders, “Did he smile his work to see? / Did he who made the Lamb make thee?” (p. 862). These questions refer to whether God created both good and evil. The author tries to understand how God could have created the tiger – evil – if he is benevolent and whether he was satisfied with the tiger’s ferocious nature. Here, the narrator’s opinion is conflicted, as he does not have answers to the questions he poses.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Blake’s “The Tiger” is an example of discussing God’s benevolence and the existence of good and evil in the world. The author uses questions as the main literary device, and the tiger serves as a symbolic representation of evil. It is juxtaposed with the lamb, making the narrator question whether such different creatures could be both created by God.
Tiger’s features, heart, and mind are twisted and full of terrors, yet the beast is as beautiful as any other God’s creation. Thus, the narrator wonders if God is happy about making the tiger or whether somebody else is responsible for bringing evil into existence. Blake’s opinion of evil, good, and God’s benevolence in the poem is not explicitly stated, but the questions serve as a sign of confusion and an attempt to understand the dilemma.
References
Blake, W. (2017). The Tiger. In G. Johnson & T. R. Arp (Eds.), Perrine’s literature: Structure, sound & sense (13th ed.)(pp. 861-862). Cengage Learning.
Ceramella, N. (2020). Blake and Lawrence between the relative and the absolute. Études Lawrenciennes, (51), 1-7. Web.
Gido, N. G., Montecillo, F. A., Gila, J., & Sudario, D. C. (2022). William Blake’s The Tyger: Poetic theme and figurative languages. Galaxy International Interdisciplinary Research Journal, 10(7), 169-172.