The Tyger

THE TYGER (from Songs Of Experience)

By William Blake

Tyger! Tyger! 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 sieze the fire?
And what shoulder, & what art.
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & 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 watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

1794

*The Tyger...Blake's response to his own poem in the Songs of Innocence, The Lamb.

My mentor Dr. C posed this question.... When one sees a creature of incredible gentility and beauty, one must think how much more gentle and beautiful the creator of this humble creature must be.  Parallel in point, when one sees a creature of terrible ferocity and power, how much more ferocious and powerful must its creator be?  Could it be that the same One who created the meek, soft lamb also created the feral,  fierce tiger? Yes. He did. God has a range of characteristics.