Poem analysis on "The Tyger" by William Blake

Essay by marto92F, June 2007

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In the first stanza we can observe that the word "tiger" is written with a "y" instead of an "I", this is to give the word an inclination towards Ancient Greece. This is closely followed by the alliteration "(…) burning bright (…)" .This alliteration is used by the author to emphasize the strong, bright, shiny colors of the "tyger". The "symmetry" y highlighted in this stanza, this is closely related to the spelling of the word because in Ancient Greece symmetry is seen as ´beauty´. It also speaks about an "immortal hand or eye", which makes an allusion to the creator of this tiger, which is said to be a god. The pattern of the poem is also symmetrical.

The second stanza has in the first line the phrase "distant deeps", this is an alliteration and it is used to remark how distant those depths are. Later on, the author writes "on what wings dare he aspire", the meaning of this directly connected with the god who made the tiger.

What the author is trying to emphasize is that if the "tyger" is, at the same time, such a horrific but beautiful creature, what the creator of this beast is like.

In the third stanza, the god creator of the tiger is seen as an artist, as the author writes "And what shoulder, & what art". This shows the appreciation he has for the creator's work. This is followed by the phrase "and when thy heart began to beat", this highlights a symbol of the god's power to create life, and it represent a symbol of life.

In stanza number four, the god is presented as a "Hammersmith"; we can see this by the use of the words "hammer", "furnace", "anvil". There is also an...