Introduction
William Blake’s poem Tyger is one of the most remarkable literary examples of animal imaginary-heavy works that touch on the topics of imagination, religion, and life’s purpose. It remains one of the most famous works in the entire bibliography of the poet, and consecutively has been a subject to scholastic review and analysis. This paper, however, takes a somewhat new approach to the discussion of the Tyger, despite using the existing evidence for its own background work. It may be argued that the titular poem draws parallels between the divine power and the ability to shape and control the dangers of the world. It links the all-encompassing might of the creation to the wilderness and horrific appeal of some of the Earth’s strongest creatures. Yet as is often the case with the religious and philosophical undertones in literature, the work can be analyzed in more ways than one. One may attempt to link the existing understanding of the work to the concepts of reincarnation, innate goodness or evilness, and human nature.
Literature Review
The existing body of literary reviews on the poem is primarily concerned with its structural and linguistic analysis, as well as the themes examination. Recently published peer-reviewed publications did not elaborate on the implications the poem’s general context and thematic patterns have for the overall philosophical relationship between the human and the divine. However, although the thesis of the connection between the danger of the creature and the power of the god is stated in the thesis, the linguistic analysis remains relevant. It contextualizes some of the most efficient structural tools and word choices William Blake uses to discuss the philosophical topics exhibited within the poem.
The tiger’s forging indicates a highly tactile, arduous, and intentional process; it accentuates the tiger’s imposing bodily presence and eliminates the possibility that such a creature could have been made inadvertently or hastily. It also maintains the picture of fire from the original account of the tiger, with its meanings of creation, cleansing, and destruction. The speaker is awestruck by the tiger’s overwhelming physical and artistic achievement, even as he recoils in terror at the moral implications of such a creation; the poem considers not just who might create such a monster as the tiger, but also who would commit the deed.
This is an issue of creative duty and volition, and the poet thoughtfully weaves this moral challenge into the discussion of physical strength. In the third verse, note the parallelism of shoulder and art, as well as the fact that the tiger’s heart is being fashioned alongside its body (Blake, 112). The word dare is being repeatedly used to replace could in the first verse adds a layer of desire and willfulness to the creative act’s sheer power.
The reader is reminded that a tiger and a lamb were made by the same God in the penultimate verse, which raises concerns regarding the ramifications of this. It also offers a comparison between the experience and innocence views expressed here. The poet leaves us in awe at the complexity of creation, the sheer vastness of God’s might, and the inscrutability of divine intent in The Tyger, which is completely comprised of unanswered questions (Neupane, 55). In this poem, the point of view of experience is a sophisticated acknowledgement of what is inexplicable in the cosmos, with evil as the main example of something that cannot be ignored.
Argument
The poem itself consists of the series of questions, asked from the perspective of the lyric hero into the emptiness around them. The narrator contemplates the magnitude, strength and ability to destruct incapsulated in a tiger, and wonders which creature could have been able to create this animal. Naturally, these questions are addressed to the god, or any other form of higher power, and therefore cannot be met with deliberate straightforward answers. Such questions have long fascinated the writers of poetry and prose alike, capturing the inherent likelihood of human mind to wonder and address the concepts beyond their straightforward understanding. Any attempt to question or address the higher power might be perceived as an eternal question, one that arises despite the author knowing they will not receive a reply. In a way, they themselves are dangerous for attempting to explore the topics that are unknown and somewhat unthinkable. Consecutively, if questioning a god is an inherently dangerous act, that the poem’s richness in such questions depicts an almost blasphemous scene, with the danger disregarded.
At first glance, the tiger looks to be a very sensual creature: captivating in its moves, general sense of tranquility and almost royal sense to it. Blake’s tiger, perfectly beautiful and yet perfectly destructive, becomes the symbolic center for an investigation into the presence of evil in the world as the poem progresses. The speaker’s queries concerning the tiger’s origin must include both physical and moral aspects since the tiger’s exceptional character exists in both physical and moral terms. Interestingly enough, the evil and destructive aspects of the creature’s essence don’t sabotage, but rather support the fascination exhibited by the poet (Du, 18). The tiger is viewed as enigmatic and even divine not in spite of its dangerous nature but because of it. The destructions it may potentially cause are, in the most primal and animalistic sense, the attributes of its degree f being special, being the regal animal.
The divinity, the exploration of the world and the magnetic appeal of the tiger itself end up being tied to the danger and almost destruction. These underlying topics highlight the importance of the god’s ability to potentially counter and control the destructive streak within their creature. Additionally, they somewhat put into perspective the essence of the god themselves, who have been able to design an evil being.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Tyger is a philosophical and imaginative poem that emphasizes the importance of eternal questions for the history of literature. It depicts a lyric hero in the middle of attempting to realize the full extend of their god’s power and influence. If a divine being could have created something so dangerous and impressive as the tiger, then what does it say about the nature of this being itself? Thus, symbolically the dangers the tiger conveys are representative of the god’s ability to control this wild, raw strength and potentially use it to their advantage when they can. In the end, it is important to remember that any of the religiously philosophical readings of the poem remain speculative and rely on subjective thematic analysis. However, the poem itself is deservedly seen as a poetic jewel with rich emotion-provoking imagery and religious undertones.
Works Cited
Blake, William. Tyger, Tyger, 2016, Penguin Classics, 112
Du, Xiao-xuan. “A Poetic Sense Of Evil”. Destech Transactions On Economics, Business And Management, no. ahem, 2021, 18. Destech Publications.
Neupane, Umapati. “Symbolism in William Blake’s poem Tyger.” Butwal Campus Journal 2.1m 2020, 54-59.