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Last edited by Albus Dumbledore; 03-23-2008 at 04:45 PM.
The theme of this poem is the existense of evil. In a sense, Blake is more religious than philosophical (if we consider the philosophy of the Romanticism the rational philosophy developed during the enlightiment), Blake is a mystic. If we compare him with, for example, Shelley, we are going to find two different poets in this sense. Also, Blake themes are not as humanist, do not have the commom nation, etc that romanticism used to have.
In other hand the duality, the conflict is very romantic. He is moving in direction that is not classicist and bring up Shakespeare/Milton references that are typical in the english romanticism (although not exactly in this poem), also have some notion about children education...
Hi,
In stanza 2 Blake refers to Prometheus (fire) and Icharus (wings). The romantics ofter referred to greek mythology in their work.
In stanza 5 he is referring to the war in heaven when satan was cast out. The Romantics tended to be more accepting of satan than their predecessors and saw him as an anti-stablishment figure at a time of revolution (French, American war of independance).
Perhaps Blake was also questioning the good and evil in his own soul, 'could he who made the lamb make thee?' (Songs of innocence, The Lamb'.
Blake is much more than that, and here the tiger is not simply a thing of evil, and there is much more than that, of course a commingling of both devilishness and goodness.Originally Posted by JCamilo
Please read deeply and absorbingly you will come upon something different in his poems, somethiong different than you imagined.
“Those who seek to satisfy the mind of man by hampering it with ceremonies and music and affecting charity and devotion have lost their original nature””
“If water derives lucidity from stillness, how much more the faculties of the mind! The mind of the sage, being in repose, becomes the mirror of the universe, the speculum of all creation.
I do agree that the poem is about much more than about the existence of evil. This poem was written and re-written several times by Blake, and he worked specifically to remove the "evilness" of the tiger.In the first two versions, the poem is indeed about Evil, but the tiger qualitatively changes in the next draft. Its evident that the tiger is the force needed to rise above the corruption that "experience" brings. It's terrible, but it's also beautiful, like a storm.
The symbolism used in the poem is largely Blake's personal symbolism. Like many of Blake's other poems where the symbols have to be decoded.
That is evil to Blake, not just a moral power, but a power of change and creation. The poem still part of duality evil/good as it is song of innocence, song of experience.
And obviously, in 7 lines I can not say everything about Blake. Not my intention. Just to set apart romantic elements in this poem. The question asks for a reduction and asnwering that Blake could easily be not-romantic would not answer it.
The tyger is about creation, definitely, the creation of a power to rise above the forces of corruption, and are you saying that this power has a dual nature?
In a simple way, Blake was dealing with that silly question "If God is all powerful, how he allowed evil to be created? Wouldn't be evil's God creation as well?"
One way that it was explained and that seems to be have some influence over's Blake was that there was a creator primeval and he have both evil and good nature and God, with only the good nature. The Tyger is a force of nature, strong, wonderful and yet able to cause evil and damage. He is not pure yet fascinating.
That is a simplistic way, part of Swenderborg heritage, Blake moved a little ahead but that is the basic.
I don't think that's the question Blake was asking. I think it was more of, if God created good, what is the purpose of bad? A more of, why are we here question, than a why is evil here? Thy fearful symmetry to me implies the yin/yang of good & Evil. One can't exist w/o the other. I also think the tyger alludes to the "tyger" in us... the choice between the lamb and Tyger.
Nice, except that Blake had no ying yang thing, except that he did read Swenderborg, except that you only ask what is the purpose of bad as you said, if you have God that is all powerful to have created it. Otherwise there is no question, evil exists just because it as power outside the Creator.
I do not understand what you said at all. Please try using proper punctuation.
Blake has no ying/yang?
I mean all his work is about the two "contrary state" without which there can be "no progression"- thus are Ying and Yang not two contraries of their own?
He did not just read Swendenborg, he was a part of this insane mans Church....but then Blake...later in his life, moved away from this church and developed his own more radical theology.
BTW. for the record- there was nothing wrong with your punctuation
The poem is very much about how God can create a "meek, mild lamb" and a "fearful...tyger". hence I suppose it does question the benevolence of God - like many of his poems e.g. The Fly. I think he is saying that without the "fearful symmetry of the tyger" the good in the Lamb can never be recognised and vice-versa....in conclusion the two need each other and that is why God has created them. The poem therefore answers the question it poses, not by itself but using its contrary.
Last edited by whiteangel; 01-08-2009 at 02:25 PM.
Well, truly Yang and Yang is not about opposites (which the poster meant by the dictomy between evil and good) and that the source of Blake is not budhism but a gnosticism that traveled by Swendenborg (among others) until reached Blake. That is what I meant, of course, there is similarities which we can explore.
Yeah, Blake had his own original ideas, just wanted to imply that his idea of origiem of evil and good had origem with Swendenborg visions. Of course, Blake is much better than that and could imagine a universe on his own.He did not just read Swendenborg, he was a part of this insane mans Church....but then Blake...later in his life, moved away from this church and developed his own more radical theology.
Thanks, but I confess that I like when people are confusedBTW. for the record- there was nothing wrong with your punctuation
Yes, yes. Must add that from Swendeborg there is the idea that evil was a primitive force, necessary for the creation of the universe. Once it is created, it was necessary only good (hence Jesus and the "other god" and the new testament) and Blake started from there (until he created his own cosmology). This way we can see why the Tyger is picked, since it can be a source of primitive power (and natural and necessary evil, the predator). Evil and good were not concepts to nullify each other, but necessary impulses that add "vital" impulse. Thsi way, I admit, they can be ying-yang like.The poem is very much about how God can create a "meek, mild lamb" and a "fearful...tyger". hence I suppose it does question the benevolence of God - like many of his poems e.g. The Fly. I think he is saying that without the "fearful symmetry of the tyger" the good in the Lamb can never be recognised and vice-versa....in conclusion the two need each other and that is why God has created them. The poem therefore answers the question it poses, not by itself but using its contrary. Blake once infamously said that "without contraries is no progression" in his Marriage of Heaven and Hell [which was interestingly, an extension of Swedenborg's book "heaven and hell"] and here it seems that without the Lamb the question about the tyger is unanswered, but in using the lamb...we can progress.... his readers are therefore forced to experience the dual nature of his poetry and witness that with contraries there IS progression.
Another reason many have said that he picked a Tiger is because he was apparently one of the first people to ever see it, but I feel that its a weak interpretation....logically the Tyger is the direct opposite of a Lamb - In the sense one is "meek and mild" and one is "fearful" and so the two would act as good contraries.
do you think that the poem has any sort of political or a social message?
P.s.
are there any other Blake poems that you like?
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