Reading Response: Overview of "The Tyger"

                Derek Furr wrote an overview of the short poem “The Tyger.” This article is answering all questions that people may have when reading this poem. He even states “note that nearly every line asks a question, and none is answered.” Furr is explaining how this poem has so many questions, which are not answered. One main question that seems to come up often is: What does the “The Tyger?” Furr is trying to get all the answers to this poem which are not identified in the poem. He says that “The Tyger” is a song of experience, Spoken from someone who once felt had all the answers, but is now unsure. This is the best information that we are able to get from the original text. The one reason that he has such a hard time trying to describe what “The Tyger” really is, is because it is about many things at once. When you first read this poem your first question may be: “what does the poem mean?” or even “how does the poem work?” these two questions are the first questions that need to be answered to start understanding the poem and what its trying to say, or what it represents. Furr is analyzing everything about this poem by seeing that the poem can bring tension by the first couple words: “Tyger Tyger, burning bright/ in the forest of the night.” With this Blake created a this effect by drawing on three poetic devices: Trochaic meter, unstressed syllables, and alliteration. Blake is tricking us with this first line. He is coming from “burning bright” to “night,” these two states are held in tension by the rhyme. This evil and threatening “Tyger” wanders in the darkness. Yet he is luminescent, even beautiful, like a work of art. He refers to the “Tygers” eyes burn with fire. Fire is the pervasive image in “The Tyger.” Is the fire a good or bad thing? After this we are brought back to the question who made the Tyger, and what his intentions were. Perhaps the point of Blake’s poem is to inspire us with the awe of the Tyger and its maker.

                This author mostly tries to analyze the questions that are brought up when reading the poem. I have the same questions as he and I still am puzzled every time I read this poem. I have read a lot of interpretations of this poem and they may answer a question of mine, but then I am brought to another question. I agree with this author and his intensions. I think Blake meant for this poem to be confusing, but what he wanted is us to ask questions and maybe even make our own perception of what this poem means. The main interpretation I have seen is that this poem and “the lamb” are the same, by they are both relating to god and were created by the same person, god. But then I see his eyes burn with fire, so are the tygers eyes relating to hell? When first reading this poem I had questions but none like I do know. I didn’t realize that this tyger meant more than what it tells in the poem. While reading this poem ever line is a question that is left unanswered. Every line should have an answer but Blake didn’t leave any. Is god related to “The Lamb” and “The Tyger?” Did Blake mean to do this? When Furr says each line starts and ends with a thud, to me it relates to the questions. When you first start reading the line it hooks you in, then when you reach the end, you realize that you are wondering what that line meant. This poem isn’t like any other pome I have read. I have so many unanswered questions that I wish I could figure out. Furr did a great job explain this poem and how he thinks, as do I, that maybe Blake did this on purpose, maybe he wanted to have people confused and asking questions. My questions are: What is the Tyger? Do the tygers eyes relate to hell? And Who is the tyger?