New vocabulary: -burning: shining brightly - immortal : un dying - frame : shape -Thy: your - symmetry: balance of parts
TIGER, tiger, burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry? The poet addresses the tiger which shines and glows with his fierce eyes in the darkness of the night. The poet then wonders of the greatness of God to create such a perfect creature.
New vocabulary: -Thine: your - Dare: be brave enough to - Aspire: desire - Seize : get hold of
In what distant deeps or skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand dare seize the fire? The poet carries on describing the blazing fire in the tigers eyes. Then he says that no one can ever dream of catching such a fast animal. He then wonders who can ever dare come near such a blazing fire.
New vocabulary: -art: skill -twist: turn by force -Sinews :strong cords within the body which hold the flesh to the bones - dread: great fear
And what shoulder and what art Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand and what dread feet? No one, however strong he might be can overcome such a fierce animal. Then the poet mentions that when the tiger gets angry and feels danger, it turns so wild and violent
New vocabulary: - Furnace: place to make a hot fire. -anvil: iron block on which metal is hammered into shape. - terror: greater fear -Clasp: hold hard- grip
What the hammer? what the chain? In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? What dread grasp Dare its deadly terrors clasp? No hammer, no chain can trap the tiger as it is known for his cleverness. No hunting weapon can be compared to the tigers fearful claws which are deadly.
When the stars threw down their spears, And water'd heaven with their tears, Did He smile His work to see? Did He who made the lamb make thee? When the stars send down their rays, and when heaven washes the earth with its tears (rain), God must have been pleased to see his wonderful creation. Then the poet marvels at the greatness of God who created the tamed lamb. It was he who created that fierce tiger too.
Tiger, tiger, burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Dare frame thy fearful symmetry? This stanza is repeated by the poet to create internal music that is not easy to forget.
Answer the following : 1) In this poem the poet says that God must have been pleased with his perfection in creating such a wonderful animal. Write the lines that show this. Ans.: When the stars threw down their spears, And water'd heaven with their tears, Did He smile His work to see? Did He who made the lamb make thee?
2) Why does the poet make a comparison between the strong fierce tiger and the tamed lamb? Ans.: The poet made a comparison between them in order to show the Good and the Evil in the world and to show Gods greatness in creating them both.
3) What does the poet wanted to say in his poem ( tiger)? The poet wanted to show the presence of Good and Evil, devil and angels in the same world. He describes the tiger as a strong fierce animal full of evil that no one can over come him, but that God also created the good in the lamb which is an excellent creation of God as well