The Tyger, by William Blake, represents the fear of industrial mechanization. The poem starts with the description of the tiger. The first two lines present the tiger as a mighty and powerful individual, “burning bright in the forests of the night”. The fact that the tiger is portrayed as “burning bright” and that the allusion to fire is maintained throughout the poem emphasizes its force and overall authority over the forest. In the final lines of the first stanza, however, the authority and power of the tiger is contrasted to the authority and power of the “immortal hand” that framed its “fearful symmetry”: its creator. This “immortal hand” can be interpreted as a reference to God, “he who made the Lamb”, the title given to Jesus in Christian theology.
Under this view, the creation of the tiger serves as an analogy of the creation of industrial processes. This interpretation can be supported by the fact that, throughout the poem, the tiger is described with terms often associated with industry: “What the hammer? What the chain? In what furnace was thy brain?”. The actual image of the Tiger in the physical poem can further support this point. The drawing portrays the tiger as an example of industrial mechanization. The eyes of the tiger are rigid and its figure stiff. Overall the tiger appears to be more of a machine than a living animal. Returning to the first stanza, therefore, it is feasible to maintain that the contrast between the authority of the tiger and God, that of the creation and the creator, can stand for the contrast between the authority of human beings and their creation: industrial mechanization.
This contrast is important because the poem represents the fear of such industrial mechanization. This fear is constructed through both the form and content of the poem. The form, for example, gives the poem an innocent tone. The set of questions maintain the feeling of awe throughout the entire poem. This feeling is important to represent the fear of the narrator. After all, it is because the narrator is impressed by the authoritarian presence of the tiger in nature that he begins to wonder about its creation. There is an element of awe and fear. The narrator is astonished by the fact that God created such a powerful tiger, but at the same time afraid that the power of the tiger may surpass that of God: “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?”. Following the theological interpretation, the moment “when the stars threw down their spears” may represent the rebellion of Lucifer against God, at which point, the narrator asks whether God was happy with his creation: a being that not only challenges him but that may be even capable of surpassing his power.
The same fear is present when we return to the analogy of the creation of the tiger as the creation of industrial processes. The narrator is afraid that industrial mechanization may take over the organic and pure, which again is represented in the physical poem by the mechanical-looking drawing of the tiger. And it is at this point where one can distinguish the significance of comparing the creation of the tiger by God to the creation of industrial processes by men. The entire poem is full of references to rebellions of creations against creators: “On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand dare seize the fire?”. The poem suggests that just as Lucifer rebelled against God for power, Icarus and Prometheo rebelled against their gods trying to extend theirs. And finally, men rebelled against God trying to extend theirs; creating something that has the potential of becoming bigger than them, such as mechanical industrialization.
Under this view, the creation of the tiger serves as an analogy of the creation of industrial processes. This interpretation can be supported by the fact that, throughout the poem, the tiger is described with terms often associated with industry: “What the hammer? What the chain? In what furnace was thy brain?”. The actual image of the Tiger in the physical poem can further support this point. The drawing portrays the tiger as an example of industrial mechanization. The eyes of the tiger are rigid and its figure stiff. Overall the tiger appears to be more of a machine than a living animal. Returning to the first stanza, therefore, it is feasible to maintain that the contrast between the authority of the tiger and God, that of the creation and the creator, can stand for the contrast between the authority of human beings and their creation: industrial mechanization.
This contrast is important because the poem represents the fear of such industrial mechanization. This fear is constructed through both the form and content of the poem. The form, for example, gives the poem an innocent tone. The set of questions maintain the feeling of awe throughout the entire poem. This feeling is important to represent the fear of the narrator. After all, it is because the narrator is impressed by the authoritarian presence of the tiger in nature that he begins to wonder about its creation. There is an element of awe and fear. The narrator is astonished by the fact that God created such a powerful tiger, but at the same time afraid that the power of the tiger may surpass that of God: “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?”. Following the theological interpretation, the moment “when the stars threw down their spears” may represent the rebellion of Lucifer against God, at which point, the narrator asks whether God was happy with his creation: a being that not only challenges him but that may be even capable of surpassing his power.
The same fear is present when we return to the analogy of the creation of the tiger as the creation of industrial processes. The narrator is afraid that industrial mechanization may take over the organic and pure, which again is represented in the physical poem by the mechanical-looking drawing of the tiger. And it is at this point where one can distinguish the significance of comparing the creation of the tiger by God to the creation of industrial processes by men. The entire poem is full of references to rebellions of creations against creators: “On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand dare seize the fire?”. The poem suggests that just as Lucifer rebelled against God for power, Icarus and Prometheo rebelled against their gods trying to extend theirs. And finally, men rebelled against God trying to extend theirs; creating something that has the potential of becoming bigger than them, such as mechanical industrialization.
Reference
http://www.blakearchive.org/blake/
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