Critical Analysis of The Tyger by William Blake
Critical Analysis of "The Tyger" by William Blake
Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
An epic beginning to an incredible poem. The capitalization of the second Tyger indicates strength and simply a bite that I think has to be maintained in reciting. The alliteration of the hard consonant sounds also capture attention - rarely has this common poetic device worked so well.
The Tyger is burning bright - a first reference to fire that is a constant recurring theme in the poem. Blake had been working on a Narrative of Surinam by Stedman in his working life which described the tyger's eyes as emitting flashes like lightning.
In the forests of the night;
Some interesting considerations for this line. Why use the plural forests? Forest of the night would have been sufficient for most poets? Perhaps Blake's own visionary experiences play a part here as well as the commonly accepted 18th century view of Heaven and Hell being different lands - Blake used themes of Heaven in Hell and Hell in Heaven several times. A simpler explanantion might just be that he preferred the assonance of the plural form, just as Byron later preferred the singular in his poem The Destruction of Sennacherib: 'The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold', rather than the more likely plural Assyrians.
In his biography of Blake, Ackroyd opines that there is also an interpretation regarding the literal literary creation: 'From the forests of the night is derived the dark charcoal that is used to forge the iron for Blake's copper plates'. This seems unduly superficial to me and while Ackroyd urges readers to recall Blake's subscription to Swedenborg's theories on the one hand, he also seems to sweep the likely connection to one side on the other.
I am inclined to the view that Blake saw his visions as an insight into the Forests of the night.
What immortal hand or eye,
There could only be one possible creator in Blake's mind but it sets a suspicion of doubt at this point in the poem. I find the use of 'hand or eye' rather than hand and eye interesting. It might simply be that Blake disliked the sound of 'hand and' but it does focus some thought on the possible different creative processes for both his art and poetry. His engraving required mechanical aptitude but his art needed vision.
Could frame thy fearful symmetry.
The Could in this line has also to...