poetry texts, poem archive at plagiarist.com

Blake is asking God how he could create such beasts in the world, like the Tiger. Such fearful creatures.
And he tries to make sense of how Gods creations can cause all this havoc on his more beatiful creations, like the innocent lamb.

Tyger! Tyger! Bengal Tigers are scientifically known as Panthera Tigris Tigris. They can weigh FROM 400-575 pounds in adulthood. Nice, huh?

Is Blake not simply in awe of God's creation - that he could create something as beautiful and fearful as a tiger, yet also create something as gentle and innocent as a lamb?

Compare with 'The Lamb' - both poems address each creature in different tones.

blake is obviously talking about the industrial revolution which was destroying the countryside.

Because Blake is a minister, I tend to think that there is more thought put in to his poetry than what most of us take the time to look for. There is a reference in this poem to Lucifer. "When the stars threw down their spears and watered heaven with their tears" this suggests the battle in heaven, and the weeping of the righteous when Lucifer became Satan and was cast out of heaven, taking a third part of the host of heaven with him. Then, the question is asked, 'did he who made the lamb, make thee?' Well, the lamb is obviously Jesus Christ. Did he not often refer to himself as the lamb of God in the New Testament? Were lambs not sacrified as a symbol of Him and His sacrifice in the Old testament? Therefore, this poem is a question of could God, or maybe, WOULD God make the devil, just as he made the Savior? Maybe Blake was contemplating this as he was preparing one of his sermons.

I think that Blake was just in awe of the magnificence of this creature of the night, its as simple as that. When he comments on the lamb he seems to be wondering how the same thing that made a small, innocent lamb could be the creator of something so fearsome.

I think Blake's line

"Did he who made the lamb make thee?"

Was an unintentional conceit. He was probably surprised himself at how this poem came out, which is a radical departure from his other relatively tame works, including "The Lamb".

It seems like Blake is inquiring on the creation of tigers, but when one analyzes it, you can find that he actually is asking about the creation life--all forms of it. This is why he relates the poem to "The Lamb." If you think of it in the universal perspective, it is easy to understand Blake's use of a tiger to represent life, as well as his inquiries about it.

Just some thoughts on the poem, but in no way definitive...
I think at least part of the message might be about finding harmony and balance in you personality and life.You must be aware of the dual aspect inherint in human nature. Although we may strive to be the lamb, we need some of the tiger's strength and determination to get through life. The tiger isn't evil, its just a tiger...in fact it is smiling in the accompaning illustration from Blake. This isn't a scary, evil monster...this is a tiger who sells breakfast cereal!!!
Blake perhaps warns us to find the "symmetry" in our dual nature.

I believe the future prof is on the right track here. The tyger and the lamb represent internal pyschological processes. The images also are reflections of archetypes. Blakes' studies into the Kaballah and the four worlds of creation are critical.