Tyger by william blake, summary and analysis

The poem ‘The Tiger’ was composed by William Blake. William Blake belonged to the “Romantic Movement” in arts and literature. He enriched the arts with his creative imaginations. His works are replete with instances of his streak of outrageous imagination. The poem is a tribute to the ferocious creature. He dwells on a critical stand when he analyzes the creature. The poet has presented certain things about the tiger to be oxymoronic. The poet is at a loss by thinking about the creator of the ferocious creature. The poet calls the tiger to be the product of an immortal being for no mortal creature can create such perfect symmetry and exquisite tapestry to cover the body of blood and sinew. In all the stanzas the poet takes the stand of a curious onlooker. He looks at the creature in awe and admiration. The poet is confused as to where the tiger was created. He gives the readership two choices- heaven and hell. The tiger is a ferocious creature and hence he could be created in the burning inferno of hell on the other hand he is so perfect and symmetrical he could also be the sweet creation of the heavens.
In the second stanza the poet again questions as to who could dare to create such a creature in the fires of heaven. He was sure that no mere mortal could aspire to create such a creature in the fires of the heaven and hell and get burnt in the process.
In the third stanza the poet is curious about the kind of art and craftsmanship which created the tiger. He questions as to who had the courage to set the heart beating of a beast that would devour its creator once he was pulsating with life. As we proceed through the stanzas we see that the poet takes a curious stand on the tiger. He questions about the creator yet again. In fact, he is very curious to know about the creator of the creature since the creator must have had a lot of courage to create a beast and then face him. The poet thinks about the tools the creator must have used while creating the animal. According to the poet the tools used by the creator must have been very special since they could stand the energy and bind the beast to its place. In my opinion the poet comes to a point in the poem wherein he is confused if it is the almighty that created him or is the devil behind this beastly creation, because it is the almighty who is also the progenitor of the lamb. The tiger is a beast of fury whereas the lamb is a meek creature. This thought provokes my mind as well. Is it possible that the creator of the hunter creates the prey as well? It is a paradox indeed, since the creator which is supposed to protect all things big and small, create a meek creature which has no resources whatsoever to defend itself. Blake concludes the poem by repeating the first stanza. He does this to establish the tiger to be a very special creation of the almighty.
The repetition of the first stanza in the end is a tactic to leave the readership in the notion that the poet’s questions went unanswered and to confirm the mysterious nature of the creator of the poet. Byron wants to establish the tiger to be a special creation of the almighty.