28th March 2015
GCSE English: 'The Tyger' Analysis
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Poet and context
A poet and artist, Blake was an extraordinary 18/19C poet; religious but not conventionally so, having an idiosyncratic view of the Creation, pertinent to this poem; independent thinking (perhaps because home educated for much of his youth); saw visions from childhood and felt these were a true perception of reality. Blake’s “Songs of Innocence” show the wonder of childhood, whereas this is from the “Songs of Experience”, which give an altogether more adult, fearful, questioning view of the world
Content
Questions the fundamental principles of creation which have led to the existence of a beast like the tiger.
Mood/tone
Wonderment, awe, curiosity, fear.
Themes
Creation, power, strength, religious belief.
Form & Structure
Note it is from “Songs...” and this is reflected in its structure, rhyme scheme and rhythm, all of which are regular (rhythm has been likened to blows of smith’s hammer), simple. Six quatrains of rhyming couplets. Return to initial stanza in 6th, but with a significant shift in the verb (see below).
Language
Questions form the whole poem: they are addressed apparently to the “tyger” itself but seem rhetorical. No answers are offered.
Repetition is obvious from first line; words and phrases are repeated, creating parallel phrases (“And what shoulder, & what art”).
Metaphor (“forests of the night”) are enhanced by alliteration (“Frame thy fearful...” “began to beat”)
Semantic field of fire, which both creates and destroys (“burning...fire...burnt...furnace” etc.) and this leads to a central image of Blake’s vision of creation: the blacksmith’s forge (“anvil...chain”).
Sense of horror of the creature created by repetition of “dread and “fearful”.
Juxtaposition with the lamb (from Blake’s “Songs of Innocence” –also Biblical allusion – lamb of God) reinforces the power and horror of the tiger.
Verb shift at end from “could” to “dare” (which has already been used repeatedly) changes focus of the question from the ability to create the tiger to the nerve or audacity of the creator.
Vigorous, powerful imagery “twist the sinews” also assonant.
A poet and artist, Blake was an extraordinary 18/19C poet; religious but not conventionally so, having an idiosyncratic view of the Creation, pertinent to this poem; independent thinking (perhaps because home educated for much of his youth); saw visions from childhood and felt these were a true perception of reality. Blake’s “Songs of Innocence” show the wonder of childhood, whereas this is from the “Songs of Experience”, which give an altogether more adult, fearful, questioning view of the world
Content
Questions the fundamental principles of creation which have led to the existence of a beast like the tiger.
Mood/tone
Wonderment, awe, curiosity, fear.
Themes
Creation, power, strength, religious belief.
Form & Structure
Note it is from “Songs...” and this is reflected in its structure, rhyme scheme and rhythm, all of which are regular (rhythm has been likened to blows of smith’s hammer), simple. Six quatrains of rhyming couplets. Return to initial stanza in 6th, but with a significant shift in the verb (see below).
Language
Questions form the whole poem: they are addressed apparently to the “tyger” itself but seem rhetorical. No answers are offered.
Repetition is obvious from first line; words and phrases are repeated, creating parallel phrases (“And what shoulder, & what art”).
Metaphor (“forests of the night”) are enhanced by alliteration (“Frame thy fearful...” “began to beat”)
Semantic field of fire, which both creates and destroys (“burning...fire...burnt...furnace” etc.) and this leads to a central image of Blake’s vision of creation: the blacksmith’s forge (“anvil...chain”).
Sense of horror of the creature created by repetition of “dread and “fearful”.
Juxtaposition with the lamb (from Blake’s “Songs of Innocence” –also Biblical allusion – lamb of God) reinforces the power and horror of the tiger.
Verb shift at end from “could” to “dare” (which has already been used repeatedly) changes focus of the question from the ability to create the tiger to the nerve or audacity of the creator.
Vigorous, powerful imagery “twist the sinews” also assonant.