Tiger Tiger

The Tiger (1794)

By William Blake

TIGER, tiger, 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 water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Discussion for The Tiger by William Blake

1. This poem is about the creation of the tiger. What does the creation and created things tell us about the Creator? What does the tiger tell us about God?

What does the verse below have to do with the poem?

‘For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made’

(Romans Chapter 1: verse 20, NIV)

2. Where does the poet imagine the tiger being made? Why does he choose this place? (clue: think about colour). Do you think this is effective? Sketch and label with words from the poem:

3. How many questions are there? What is a rhetorical question? Why do we use them? Why are they used here?

4. Describe the rhyme scheme. What aspect of the tiger’s behaviour does the rhyme scheme show us?

5. How many times does the word ‘what’ occur? Which verse do the ‘whats’ occur most often in? Why? What can you imagine the ‘what’ being (given the location of the tiger’s creation)?

6. Why is the lamb mentioned? What does the fact that the same creator made the tiger and the lamb tell you about the creator?

7. How many syllables do nearly all the lines have? Why?

Dr Pike 5th January 2006

Learning Objectivities

In the next hour you will learn a biblical truth and also learn about:

1. beat, rhythm, rhyme scheme
2. juxtaposition
3. syllables
4. poetic imagination (colour/contrast/situation)
5. onomatopoeia
6. rhetorical questions
7. repetition

Learning activities

1. perform and learn
2. clap to what (imagine hammer on anvil - onomatopoeia)
3. US army chant – have fun stomping
4. experience classic literature

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Related pages:

Category: English

Author: Dr Pike