Poetry Analysis
ENGL 102: Literature and Composition
Summer B 2016
Kiana Mercer #L26452653
MLA
Kiana Mercer
Professor Hobson
ENGL 102-B20
20 June 2016
Poetry Analysis
Thesis: “The Tyger” is a poem by William Blake that uses underlying themes of religion and guides the reader towards thinking about the answers to complex ideas throughout the writing. Blake asks a series of serious questions regarding the nature of God by creating the tiger, thus revolving the theme about God’s creations of good and evil.
1. Blake opens the poem with a question, which is elaborated on with more questions throughout the poem to communicate the theme.
a. Repetition of “what”
b. Ending the poem with the same question
2. Metaphors are used to show the strength of the creator as well as the ferocity of the tiger.
a. The fire in the Tyger’s eyes
b. The blacksmith metaphor using tools to create the Tyger
3. Blake uses allusions while pondering on who could have been the creator.
a. Distant deeps or skies: hell or heaven
b. Immortal hand or eye: God or Satan
Poetry Analysis
Theme is defined as the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work that an author tries to communicate. “The Tyger” is a poem by William Blake that uses underlying themes of religion and guides the reader towards thinking about the answers to complex ideas throughout the writing. Blake asks a series of questions regarding the nature of God by creating the tiger, as well as metaphors and allusions to revolve around the theme of God’s creations of good and evil.
The first statement Blake gives in this work is that he sees a terrible tiger in the night, and, as a result of his state of panic, he exaggerates the description of the animal by repeating “Tyger!” Immediately after seeing the Tyger in the forest, Blake asks what deity could have created it, which begins the questions continuously asked in this work. The...