A brief analysis of William Blake's poems "The Lamb" and "The Tyger." I will explore the concept of two sides of humanity: the purity and impurity. Is there a set, natural state of the world and if so, is the world naturally good or wicked? Is there a way to live and cope with both sides of life, or are our perspectives altered by one side? In this post, I will not offer my opinion-- I am leaving it up to my readers to read and form their own opinions. A side note: William Blake is one of my favorite poets. His eloquence is inspiring to me. Enjoy the poems and my analysis.
The Lamb, by William Blake from Songs of Innocence
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Gave thee life & bid thee feed.
By the stream & o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing wooly bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice!
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Little Lamb I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb I'll tell thee!
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb:
He is meek & he is mild,
He became a little child:
I a child & thou a lamb,
We are called by his name.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
The Tyger, by William Blake from Songs of Experience
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare sieze the fire?
And what shoulder, & what art.
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
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?
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
Is the World Innocent or Impure? by Melanie Walker
In the world, there are always two opposing forces: the sun versus the moon, knowledge versus ignorance, and light versus dark. William Blake was an interesting, romantic poet his century because he explored and experienced both sides of human nature: the good versus the evil. When he began writing his poems, he wrote concerning the softer and lighter side of human nature and believed the world to be innocent. As he progressed and began to learn more of the world, Blake began to realize the darker side of life and that it was not as innocent as he once perceived. Blake wrote two poems concerning these differing ideas called “The Lamb” then “The Tyger.” Each poem represents a different idealism that allows readers to study and for their own opinions of their perception about the state of humanity. Is the world naturally pure or naturally dreadful? Can we view the world in light but still be aware and accepting of the atrocity found? In Blake’s two contrasting poems “The Lamb” and the “Tyger”, he presents two very different ideas that compel his readers to believe if the world is naturally innocent or treacherous.
“The Lamb” suggests the world in a state of innocence while “The Tyger” suggests the darker state of the world. In “The Lamb”, the narrator addresses the “little lamb” asking it if it knew its creator. It describes its creator:
“Gave thee life & bid thee feed.
By the stream & o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing wooly bright;” (3-6).
The narrator then describes the lamb’s voice as tender and rejoicing, suggesting a certain soft tone in the poem. In the second stanza, the narrator reveals the loving creator who was once a lamb himself; he is meek and lowly. He ends the stanza blessing the Lamb by the grace of God. “Little Lamb God bless thee/ Little Lamb God bless thee” (19-20). In “The Tyger”, the feel is very different. He describes the Tyger as “burning bright” and with “fearful symmetry” in the first stanza. The tone is harsh and dark. It speaks of the Tyger’s eyes relating to fire:
“In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes!
On what wings dare he aspire!
What the hand, dare sieze the fire?” (5-8).
In the third stanza, the narrator references to the Tyger’s body parts describing them as dreadful and the Tyger’s claws as “deadly terrors.” The poem ends presenting the interesting question, “Did he who made the Lamb make thee?” (20) and it concludes with an eerie chill to the poem. Readers can assume the symbolism behind the Lamb and the Tyger being the state of the world. Is the world as innocent and pure as the Little Lamb made by God, or is it as frightening and hellish as the Tyger?
So perhaps the world is naturally evil but it also holds purity and innocence. Believing in both possibilities, another question that arrives from these two very different ideals is if a person can have a pure and wholesome perspective of the world they live in but still accept the beastliness of the world. Is that possible? The two poems suggest that each the Lamb and the Tyger are both made from the same creator, so perhaps the world consists of two opposite forces. Each is different but coexists. Blake once believed in the virtue of the world but after seeing the unbecoming reality, he lost all of his faith. It is up to readers if they choose to believe in one side of the world and let that completely alter their perception or if they choose to be accepting of all sides of life and live with truth and reality. With this knowledge, can one still view the world in commendable idealism?
There is always an opposing force in life. There are two sides to everything and contrast. Often, once individuals see another side of life, their ideals and beliefs become shattered and altered. “The Lamb” and “The Tyger” propose two extremes of life: purity and atrocity. These two poems offer readers a chance to believe in either of the natural sides of life or in both. Is the world a force for good or evil? Is there a way for readers to be aware and accepting of both sides of life? William Blake has his own ideas concerning the state of humanity, but it is up to each individual to form their own opinions and maintain their own faith.
