The Tyger

The Tyger
After reading William Blake’s poem “The Tyger,” I noticed many contradictions between in context of the reading and what Blake was said to believe. Blake had a very negative perspective on industrialization movement. Based on this information, I found it very interesting that Blake would illustrate the tiger, something he thought to be holy, as being built in such an industrialized way. I think Blake uses the contradictions to highlight his feelings of industrialization. The tiger in the poem is made by way of machine. It interesting that the animal Blake chose was a tiger because tigers are usually thought to be scary and aggressive. The tiger might be a representation or symbolic of the way Blake felt towards industrialization. Even though he uses a tiger, the tiger is drawn in a way that is very nonthreatening. The tiger like a tiger but it has no heart or personality to it; it’s very robotic. I think Blake draws the tiger like this to show how industrialization is something that is very dangerous but is seen to be something beautiful. Another important aspect of the poem is all the childlike characteristics it has. Along with the childlike picture the poem asks a series of questions, this is very similar to how a child may question his elders. Also the rhyme scheme which is, trochaic tetrameter, it gives the poem a nursery rhyme quality. This leads me to believe the poem is narrated through the eyes of the child. I also think it’s presented through the mind of Blake because he is sending a message through the childlike qualities of the poem. All the paradoxes create uncertainty within the reader. I feel that Blake repeats the first stanza to put emphasis on the question of who created the tiger, but also creates a since of ambiguity. The poem leaves you with many unanswered questions.