William Blake "The Lamb and the Tyger" Essay Example
Rubiano Cristian
06/18/2012
ENC 1102
Prof. Guillen
William Blake uses the role of nature as an expression of the divine in “The Lamb” and “The Tyger.” Blake was a Christian visionary poet of the 1700’s. In his work he depicts both sides of the divine, the good represented as the pure creation of God in a lamb and the evil represented as another perfect creation in the form of a malevolent creature, the tiger. Blake’s intentions are to demonstrate how God is a divine force, the creator of both “good” and “evil.” The opposite roles of nature as depicted in “The lamb” and “The Tyger” are illustrated by the use of imagery and descriptive language.
First of all, in “The Lamb,” William Blake describes the lamb as a beautiful, delicate, and peaceful creation. The narrator says, “Gave thee clothing of delight, softest clothing, woolly, bright” (Blake 891). Here, he illustrates through descriptive language the lamb’s characteristics and beauty. In addition to this, he uses the words “Gave thee such a tender voice, making all the vales rejoice” (Blake 891) to create the image of the little lamb delicacy describing the tenderness of her voice enjoyed in the valleys. Finally, the narrator says, “He is meek, and he is mild He became a little child” -and- “I a child, and thou a lamb” (Blake 891). Here, Blake exposes the fact that the lamb is a harmless, peaceful creature by personifying god in a lamb and explaining the true origin and symbolism of such a glorifying creature.
In contrast, in his poem “The Tyger,” Blake describes a totally opposite creature; a strong, fearful and harsh tiger with a perfect shape and form. To begin, there is the first line of the poem: “Tyger, Tyger! burning bright in the forests of the night” (Blake 892). This is intended to show the brighten power and strength of the tiger that stands in the lone and darker forests. In addition to this, in the excerpt, “What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry?” (Blake 892), the
06/18/2012
ENC 1102
Prof. Guillen
William Blake uses the role of nature as an expression of the divine in “The Lamb” and “The Tyger.” Blake was a Christian visionary poet of the 1700’s. In his work he depicts both sides of the divine, the good represented as the pure creation of God in a lamb and the evil represented as another perfect creation in the form of a malevolent creature, the tiger. Blake’s intentions are to demonstrate how God is a divine force, the creator of both “good” and “evil.” The opposite roles of nature as depicted in “The lamb” and “The Tyger” are illustrated by the use of imagery and descriptive language.
First of all, in “The Lamb,” William Blake describes the lamb as a beautiful, delicate, and peaceful creation. The narrator says, “Gave thee clothing of delight, softest clothing, woolly, bright” (Blake 891). Here, he illustrates through descriptive language the lamb’s characteristics and beauty. In addition to this, he uses the words “Gave thee such a tender voice, making all the vales rejoice” (Blake 891) to create the image of the little lamb delicacy describing the tenderness of her voice enjoyed in the valleys. Finally, the narrator says, “He is meek, and he is mild He became a little child” -and- “I a child, and thou a lamb” (Blake 891). Here, Blake exposes the fact that the lamb is a harmless, peaceful creature by personifying god in a lamb and explaining the true origin and symbolism of such a glorifying creature.
In contrast, in his poem “The Tyger,” Blake describes a totally opposite creature; a strong, fearful and harsh tiger with a perfect shape and form. To begin, there is the first line of the poem: “Tyger, Tyger! burning bright in the forests of the night” (Blake 892). This is intended to show the brighten power and strength of the tiger that stands in the lone and darker forests. In addition to this, in the excerpt, “What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry?” (Blake 892), the