Skip to Main Content

A-Z Poetry - Middle School

Tyger by William Blake (1794)
William Blake (1757-1827) is considered a highly influential figure in the history of poetry and one of the greatest British artists. His most renowned work in poetry is Songs of Innocence and of Experience, considered one of the leading poetic works of the Romantic era. 

About the Poem

The Tyger is a poem in Blake’s Songs of Experience. The Tyger, with its strikingly powerful words, serves as a counter to the innocence and tenderness of The Lamb, another poem in Songs of Innocence. In The Tyger, the speaker focuses on the subject of creation, asking who could have made such a terrifying beast as the tiger. The speaker talks about the fearful features of the tiger and wonders “did he who made the Lamb make thee?“ before he ends the poem with the question with which he began, “What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?”. It is one of the most analysed poems and Cambridge calls it the “the most anthologized poem in English”.

Videos

The Tyger by William Blake - Poem Analysis

Here's a detailed breakdown of William Blake's poem 'The Tyger' - including analysis, poetic devices, structure/form points, context and exploration of themes.

SOURCE: Scribbly (2020), posted on YouTube, Duration: 23:46 mins, URL: https://youtu.be/MBRoGt2MXpo

The Tyger by William Blake: Analysis

Analysis of poetic meanings, methods and messages.

SOURCE: MissHannahLovesGrammar (2019), posted on YouTube, [22:22 mins.] URL: https://youtu.be/bX4P8OGS4dQ

 

''The Tyger' by William Blake - Analysis

This video contains a close Analysis of William Blake's, 'The Tyger', with a discussion of the poem's historical context, major themes, and Blake's use of poetic techniques.

SOURCE: LitPoetry, (2020, August 12), YouTube, https://youtu.be/QcnasYR-ivw

LitCharts: The Tyger [14 pages - Scroll to view]