William Blake's poems, The Tiger and The Lamb, work symbiotically to exemplify the duality of religion, a concept of both blind and continually questioned faith. These two concepts are continually seen in both poems, as each asks its own questions of varying complexity. In The Tiger, for example, Blake poses the questions "What immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?" (Blake 3-5) and "did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the lamb make thee?" (Blake 19-20) portraying a deeper inspection of the being that created both the tiger, a symbol of beauty, terror, and evil, and the lamb, a symbol of simplicity and beauty. In The Lamb, on the other hand, he asks two, simple questions, "Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee?" (Blake 9-10) These questions pose little to no meaning, and are very easily answered. In fact, Blake gives the reader the answer by …show more content…
An aspect of questioning rises due to the realization of dark truths and evils such as tigers, and another rises, choosing only to see the roses and the simplicity of the lamb. The Tiger, a poem representing questioning, poses a much deeper, more version of the simple question, “Little Lamb, who made thee.” The poems differ not only in this question, but also in the answer provided. The Tiger’s question, “who made you and why would he also make such evil beings?” poses no true answer, as there’s more to it than just asking “who made you.” The Tiger is questioning the background and history of religion, whereas The Lamb is simply taking it for what it is. Many in modern society and William Blake’s society have pondered the same question of who the creator truly is, and have come to these divides of interrogative questioning and simpler questioning. This conflict in society is the same as the conflict posed in William Blake’s poems: the conflict between man and the question of god, resulting in arguments amongst
Throughout the poems we can infer to what conclusions they come to about Gods actions which ultimately reflect how the poets feel towards God. Cullen proposes that God commits the actions he does using the example “Merely brute caprice dooms Sisyphus To struggle up a never ending stair”, concluding that he inflicts evil on people for unaccountable reasons and because he has the sheer ability to, which ultimately creates the affect that Cullen’s attitude towards God is resentful which is further supported by his choice of diction in the quote “What compels His awful hand” (li), showing his disgust and disrespect for God. On the other hand, Blake’s attitude towards God is more of acceptance of Gods will and more subservient. This can be inferred by the diction in which Blake uses to question how this evil was created by using metaphors to compare God to a blacksmith. The stanza giving evidence to this states “What the hammer? what the chain? In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? What dread grasp?” (li) , providing the metaphor of comparing God to a blacksmith creating a piece of art. Blake refers to the tiger also as having a “frame of thy fearful symmetry” (li), further creating the connection of this evil being created being a work of art created by God. It is by these metaphors that Blake has written that we can infer that his view of the evil that God
Blake’s poetry focuses on imagination. When Blake created his work, it gained very little attention. Blake’s artistic and poetic vision is reflected in his creations. Blake was against the Church of England because he thought the doctrines were being misused as a form of social control, it meant the people were taught to be passively obedient and accept oppression, poverty, and inequality. In Blake’s poems “The Lamb,” “The Tyger,” and Proverbs of Hell, he shows that good requires evil in order to exist through imagery of animals and man.
Blake focuses on religion, because of the discrepancy of the topic during this era. Perhaps this was an attempt at being controversial, or it was genuine ideologies that led the writer into an exotic, yet remote state of mind. He writes, “he is called by thy name… For he calls himself a Lamb (lines 13-14).” In the Bible, Jesus Christ is referred to the child and the lamb. In this sense, God is offering Jesus as a sacrifice to humanity, rather than humans offering a sacrifice to God. This is, of course, a form of mythology that adds mystery to the poem. Romanticism was focused on art, intelligence, passion and internal struggles. Religion is unknown and requires a great amount of blind faith. These beliefs enlighten a spiritual connection between man and a higher being. Romanticism emphasized on finding a gateway to a transcendent experience and spiritual truth, which Blake believed could be found through religion. This is not the only tenet found in this poem, however. Not only did Blake exemplify religion, but he incorporated innocence
baby then calls itself joy so that it can be happy and live a joyful
During the British Romantic period, some writers used material from the Bible or imitated the Bible in style of writing or content. William Blake, a Romantic writer, engraver, and painter, believed that “the Bible was the greatest work of poetry ever written” (Barker 2004). The Bible influenced him throughout this life, specifically influencing both his writing and his art. There are many references to Biblical themes within his writing, and there are also many references to specific passages of Scripture (Barker 2004).
William Blake’s 1793 poem “The Tyger” has many interpretations, but its main purpose is to question God as a creator. Its poetic techniques generate a vivid picture that encourages the reader to see the Tyger as a horrifying and terrible being. The speaker addresses the question of whether or not the same God who made the lamb, a gentle creature, could have also formed the Tyger and all its darkness. This issue is addressed through many poetic devices including rhyme, repetition, allusion, and symbolism, all of which show up throughout the poem and are combined to create a strong image of the Tyger and a less than thorough interpretation of its maker.
Blake’s later question of, “Did he who made the Lamb make thee?” is less so a question, but rather a declaration of the narrator’s realization that, yes, it is the same God that created the Lamb and the Tiger (20). The two opposite creatures were created to coexist. The idea of intentional flaws may be perplexing at first, but Blake is subconsciously mimicking and following the mold that God has created. Innocence and evil, good and bad exist in many ways.
In William Blake’s poem “The Lamb” the speaker begins with the ultimate question, “Little Lamb, who made thee?/ Dost though know who made thee?/” (Blake lines 1-2). The speaker then continues to elaborate on the question in a playful, innocent, singsong manner describing the kindness and thoughtfulness that the creator put in to producing this ever so gentle lamb. The tone of this poem is soft and lulling, the tender, calm rhyme scheme puts the reader in a soothing, dreamlike state. “The words and images presented - stream, mead, delight, softest, tender and rejoice - are positive and pastoral. One can picture a lamb frolicking in the green grass…” (Smith).
giving the tiger an even more awe-inspiring quality. The stanza finishes with "Did he who made the lamb make thee?" Which gives the idea of disbelief at the prospect of a creator making a harmless pleasant creature such as the lamb and a dangerous mighty and awful creature like the tiger. b) Explore the ways Blake uses imagery and repetition in this poem. The most obvious repetition in this poem is the "Tiger"!
The imagery of nature and humanity intermingling presents Blake's opinion on the inborn, innate harmony between nature and man. The persona of the poem goes on to express the `gentle streams beneath our feet' where `innocence and virtue meet'. This is where innocence dwells: synchronization with nature, not synchronization with industry where `babes are reduced to misery, fed with a cold usurous hand' as in the experienced version of `Holy Thursday'. The concept of the need for the individual's faithfulness to the laws of nature and what is natural is further reiterated in `the marriage of heaven and hell' in plate 10 where Blake states `where man is not, nature is barren'. The most elevated form of nature is human nature and when man resists and consciously negates nature, `nature' becomes `barren'. Blake goes on to say `sooner murder an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires'. This harks back to `the Songs of Innocence' `A Cradle Song' where the `infants smiles are his own smiles'. The infant is free to act out its desires as it pleases. It is unbound, untainted. Blake's concern is for the pallid and repressed, subjugated future that awaits the children who must `nurse unacted desires' and emotions in this new world of industrialisation. Despairingly, this is restated again in `the mind-forg'd manacles' of `London'. The imagery of the lambs of the `Songs of Innocence' `Introduction' is developed in `the Chimney Sweeper' into the image of `Little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head, that curl'd like a lamb's back, was shav'd'.
In conclusion these two poems by William Blake are both deep and have hidden meanings, they both use imagery, repetition, alliteration and ryming couplets as well as biblical references to create a vivid pictures in the readers head. But these poems do differ in many ways such as the structure, theme and way it is written. The Tyger appeals to me most as it has more hidden meanings than the Lamb and the Lamb is boring and as if written by a child (for effect). In this essay I have analysed, contrasted and compared the two poems The Tyger and The Lamb to the best of my ability detailing the poetic devices used and the underlying meanings.
Initially, William Blake’s “My Pretty Rose Tree” reads as uncomplicated verse, but in reality the poem operates on many levels. Close examination of Blake’s use of objects, familiar yet profoundly symbolic, thwarts expectations of light romance. Superficially the poem speaks of flowers, love, and jealousy but beneath the surface lurk deeper messages of rejection, resistance to change, and faith.
It is this different type of wording he uses in this question of his work The Tyger, that seems to evoke a much darker or even an evil feel too the question of who made him than in The Lamb. Both of the poems are talking of creation, but in The Lamb , the little boy answers the question by saying that it was God, and in The Tyger , only more questions are left, there are no
Creation in Experience is much more complex. In contrast to image of the lamb, the tiger is a predator, no longer ?meek? and ?mild? but ?fearful? and ?deadly?. The poem progresses with a series of questions, constantly gathering pace and frequency. The poem reaches a climax at the question ?Did He who made the lamb make thee?? The narrator cannot reco...
In his work, Songs of Innocence and Experience: Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul, William Blake uses the aforementioned contrasting states of being to illustrate his unique view of the world around him. Through this work, Blake lays bare his soulful views of religion and ethics, daring the reader to continue on in their narcissistic attitudes and self-serving politics. While Blake's work had countless themes, some of the most prevalent were religious reform, social change, and morality. Philosophically, one would think that William Blake was a Deist; however Blake rejected the Deist view of life. He was a devout Christian, yet he also wanted nothing to do with the church or their teachings. These views give Blake a refreshingly sincere quality with regards to his art and writings. Blake frequently alluded to Biblical teachings in his work and, more often than not, used corresponding story lines to rail against the Church's views and accepted practices. One may say however, that Blake's universal appeal lies within his social commentary. Similar to a fable, Blake weaves a poetically mystical journey for the reader, usually culminating in a moral lesson. One such poem, "A Poison Tree," clearly illustrates some of William Blake's moral beliefs. With his use of imagery, as well as an instinctive knowledge of human nature, William Blake shows just how one goes from the light to the darkness (from innocence to experience) by the repression of emotions.