The poem is constructed of six and each consist of two rhyming couplets:
The use of the steady rhyme pattern allows the poem to move forward at a uniform pace:
Each of the six quatrains in the poem consists of two rhyming couplets.
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The power of God and creation | The poem begins and ends with virtually the same stanzas: | The structure of the poem highlights the power of God and His creation: |
The existence of good and evil | The poem predominantly consists of end-stopped lines: | The use of end-stopped lines and question marks makes the poem feel rigid and constrictive: |
The writer uses a range of language techniques to emphasise the power of God and the sinister nature of the tiger.
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The existence of good and evil | The speaker’s main symbol in the poem is the tiger | The tiger is a powerful symbol in this poem: |
The poem uses fire and associates it with the tiger: | The use of fire symbolism captures the visual appearance of the tiger: | |
The power of God and creation | is used frequently throughout the poem. For example: | Alliteration adds an intensity to the poem: |
While knowing the poem is important, you also need to be able to show the examiner that you can write an informed, personal response. Therefore, you need to develop a solid understanding of the theme, main ideas and events depicted.
It is still important to have an awareness of background information that is relevant to the themes in the poem, even though you are not explicitly assessed on context. This can help you develop a sustained, critical understanding of the text.
To help you do this, the section below has been divided into two main themes that Blake explores in 'The Tyger':
The Power of God and Creation
The Existence of Good and Evil
Blake first published a collection, Songs of Innocence, and a subsequent collection in 1794, Songs of Experience, which offered a contrary view to his earlier work:
Both collections explores the nature of soul, religion and humanity
‘The Tyger’, from Songs of Experience, was written to contrast his earlier poem called ‘The Lamb’, which appears in Blake’s Songs of Innocence collection
Blake did not get the recognition he deserved during his lifetime and many considered him to be a madman
The speaker in ‘The Tyger’ explores the more ominous, powerful and mysterious aspect of Divinity and creation
Through the poem, Blake challenges the common beliefs of the 18th century regarding God and religion as God was depicted as a shepherd:
However, Blake presents a multi-layered God who has the ability to be kind but also fierce
The tiger is repeatedly linked with fire which could signify its power but also the intense process required for its creation
The word “dare” suggests that God has the ability to create the tiger but also the strength to create such a formidable creature
Ultimately, the questions that the poem asks are left unanswered:
It suggests that humans lack the ability or insight to comprehend God’s intentions, leaving the question of why the tiger exists unanswered
The poem is an expression of awe at God’s ability to create and also at his creation of a tiger
However, the central animal in this poem symbolises fear, danger and violence:
The speaker reflects on the existence of good and evil and questions whether God, who created “the Lamb”, also created the sinister tiger
The speaker marvels at God’s ability to create a creature that is “bright” and full of “symmetry”
However, the speaker uses words such as “burning”, “fearful” and “dread” to highlight how evil and dangerous the tiger is
The speaker’s personification of the stars highlights how good and evil collide:
Stars normally symbolise goodness and heaven and the speaker claims that they “threw down their spears” in reaction to the tiger being created
It could also suggest the stars attempt to kill the tiger before it causes any damage:
This image could reflect good versus evil
The poem’s questions leave the reader thinking about why good and evil exist but in the knowledge that they both do
In your exam, you will be required to compare two poems from the anthology so you must have a good knowledge of poetic form, content and meaning to compare the poems effectively.
You must be able to explore links and connections between texts, which includes looking at both poets’ use of language, form and structure.
In ‘The Tyger’, Blake’s main ideas are centred around defiance and grief; therefore, the following comparisons would be a good starting point:
‘The Tyger’ and ‘Prayer Before Birth’
‘The Tyger’ and ‘War Photographer’
For each pair of poems, you will find:
Comparison summary
Similarities and differences between the ideas presented in each poem
Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences
You need to make sure that your answers are not too vague, so do not make generalised comments as this will not get you any marks. For example, writing “the lack of punctuation makes the reader want to read on” is too vague and tells the examiner that you have not done your research.
Instead, you need to write something like “the use of enjambment allows the reader to follow the speaker’s thought processes and pulls the reader from one line to the next. By creating a sense of urgency, the reader gains an insight into the speaker’s panicked state of mind”
Comparison summary:
Both poems touch on the concept of evil. In ‘The Tyger’, the speaker is marvelling at God’s ability to create an animal as sinister as the tiger and is an exploration of evil creation. However, in ‘Prayer Before Birth’, the speaker is asking to be saved from the cruelties in the world.
Similarities:
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No information is given about the speaker as he reflects on the tiger’s creation | In ‘Prayer Before Birth’, the speaker is an unborn child who is afraid of being born and exposed to evil | |
The speaker in ‘The Tyger’ uses apostrophe as it is addressing and questioning the tiger about its existence | The speaker also uses apostrophe as the speaker, who is an unborn child, is talking to an unknown entity – presumably God – but it could also be humanity | |
Assonance is used throughout the poem: | Assonance is also used in ‘Prayer Before Birth’: “...bloodsucking b t or the r t” – which emphasises the unborn child’s fears of creatures that they find threatening |
Differences:
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The speaker of the poem is inquisitive and ponders over the creation of the tiger | However, the speaker in this poem is pessimistic and is imagining terrifying scenarios that they might experience | |
In ‘Prayer Before Birth’, the speaker is afraid of being exposed to the world’s evils and asks that, if they cannot be protected, they be killed | ||
No real information is given about the speaker as they are more focused on asking the tiger questions regarding its creation and existence | ||
The poem is made up of 39 lines which are split into eight stanzas of varying lengths: | ||
The poem is 24 lines long and is divided into six quatrains with the first and last quatrain being virtually identical: | ||
End-stopped lines are a significant feature of the poem: | ||
and are used throughout to control the pace and emotion: | ||
Both poems include a speaker who notices and wonders on the evil that exists in the world. In ‘The Tyger’, the speaker uses the image of the tiger as a symbol of evil and ferocity that exists in the world. In ‘War Photographer’, the speaker of the poem focuses on a photographer who has taken pictures of people in deprived and poverty stricken parts of the world to highlight the evil and depravity that exists.
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In ‘The Tyger’, the speaker ponders the creation and existence of the tiger | In ‘War Photographer’, the speaker is an outsider looking in: | |
‘The Tyger’ is tightly structured with 24 lines that are divided into six quatrains, with the first and last quatrain being virtually identical: | Similarly, in ‘War Photographer’, the structure is also tight with four stanzas of six lines and a consistent rhyme scheme: | |
The poet uses religious imagery at certain points to highlight the contrast between good and evil: | The poet also uses religious language in ‘War Photographer’: |
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The poem focuses on the speaker’s thoughts and feelings in relation to the creation and existence of the tiger: | The speaker focuses on the thoughts and feelings of the photographer and, at times, it is evident that the photographer is fighting with himself over the ethics of his images: | |
While the tiger is presented as a ferocious creature, the speaker is also in awe of him: | However, in ‘War Photographer’, the people whom the photographer observes are presented in a negative way, such as “half-formed ghost” and a “hundred agonies”. | |
The speaker predominantly uses end-stopped lines: | Duffy uses enjambment throughout the poem: |
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Nadia is a graduate of The University of Warwick and Birmingham City University. She holds a PGCE in secondary English and Drama and has been a teacher for over 10 years. She has taught English Literature, Language and Drama across key stages 3 to 5. She has also been an examiner for a leading exam board and has experience designing and delivering schemes of work for AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas.
Home / Essay Samples / Literature / The Tyger / “The Tyger” Analysis: Understanding William Blake’s Masterpiece
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