Poetry Appreciation - 05 (The Tyger)

Appreciating Poetry

Poem-5

Read the following poem and do the activities that follow.

The Tyger

By William Blake

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,

In the forests of the night;

What immortal hand or eye,

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

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?

And what shoulder, & what art,

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? what dread grasp,

Dare its deadly terrors clasp!

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?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,

In the forests of the night:

What immortal hand or eye,

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Questions:

a) Answer the following questions.

i. What does the tiger symbolize in the poem?

ii. How does the poet use metaphors to describe the creation of the tiger?

iii. How does the poet explore the theme of fear and awe in the poem?

iv. What is the significance of the question, “Did he who made the Lamb make thee?”

v. How does the poem reflect the complexity of good and evil?

b) Identify 4 metaphors and 4 similes used in the poem. Then explain the purpose of their uses.

c) Read the poem again and express your feelings.

Answer:

a) Answer the following questions.

i. What does the tiger symbolize in the poem?

The tiger symbolizes both fearsome power and divine creation. It represents something fierce and mysterious, evoking awe and fear at the same time. The poet sees the tiger as a creation of some higher power, and its “fearful symmetry” suggests that it embodies both beauty and terror.

ii. How does the poet use metaphors to describe the creation of the tiger?

The poet uses metaphors to describe the creation of the tiger as if it were forged by a blacksmith in a furnace. Words like "hammer," "chain," "furnace," and "anvil" give the image of something powerful being shaped through intense heat and force. This metaphor creates a sense that the tiger is the result of a dangerous and mighty creative process.

iii. How does the poet explore the theme of fear and awe in the poem?

The poet explores fear and awe by emphasizing the tiger's strength and beauty. The repeated question "What immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry?" shows the speaker’s amazement at how such a powerful and terrifying creature could exist. The tiger’s "burning bright" eyes and its fearsome form evoke a sense of awe, while the suggestion that it was created by a divine power adds to the sense of wonder and fear.

iv. What is the significance of the question, “Did he who made the Lamb make thee?”

This question contrasts the tiger with the lamb, a symbol of innocence and gentleness, often associated with God. The poet wonders if the same creator who made something so innocent as the lamb could also make something as fearsome as the tiger. This raises questions about the dual nature of creation and whether good and evil can come from the same source.

v. How does the poem reflect the complexity of good and evil?

The poem reflects the complexity of good and evil by presenting the tiger as a creature that is both beautiful and terrifying. The tiger’s "fearful symmetry" suggests a balance between these opposing forces. The poem raises the question of how both innocence (represented by the lamb) and power (represented by the tiger) can come from the same creator, suggesting that good and evil might be interconnected or part of the same universal design.

b) Identify 4 metaphors and 4 similes used in the poem. Then explain the purpose of their uses.

Metaphors:

1.       "Burning bright" – The tiger is compared to fire, suggesting its intensity and power.

2.       "What the hammer? What the chain?" – These blacksmith tools are metaphors for the process of creating the tiger, as if it was forged in a furnace.

3.       "In what furnace was thy brain?" – This metaphor implies that the tiger’s mind was created in the heat of something powerful and dangerous.

4.       "When the stars threw down their spears" – The stars are personified as throwing spears, suggesting a battle or struggle, which adds to the mystery of the tiger’s creation.

Similes:

1.       "Like fire burning bright" – The comparison to fire highlights the tiger’s ferocity and strength.

2.       "As distant as the deeps or skies" – This simile compares the tiger’s origins to distant places, adding to the sense of mystery and awe.

3.       "Like a blacksmith’s forge" – Implied through the use of tools like hammers and anvils, the creation of the tiger is likened to the work of a blacksmith, showing how it was formed with power and precision.

Purpose of their uses:

The metaphors and similes in the poem help to intensify the mystery and power of the tiger. By comparing it to fire, the poet emphasizes its dangerous beauty. The metaphors of blacksmith tools like the hammer and furnace make the tiger’s creation seem like a complex, powerful process. Similes comparing the tiger’s origin to distant places or its nature to fire add to the sense of awe. Overall, these figures of speech enhance the poem’s exploration of the tiger as a symbol of both beauty and terror.

c) Read the poem again and express your feelings.

Reading this poem made me feel a sense of wonder and fear. The way the poet describes the tiger as “burning bright” in the darkness of the night makes it feel mysterious and powerful, almost like a creature from a dream. The repeated questions, asking what kind of force could create such a fearful yet beautiful creature, left me with a feeling of awe for the complexity of life and creation.

The poem also made me reflect on the idea that beauty and danger can exist together. The tiger is both magnificent and terrifying, and this made me think about how the world is full of things that are beautiful but also powerful in a way that we cannot fully understand. The question about whether the same creator made both the lamb and the tiger made me wonder about the balance of good and evil in the world, and how these forces might be more connected than we realize.

Overall, the poem left me with a deep appreciation for the mysteries of nature and the universe. It also stirred feelings of curiosity about the nature of creation and the balance between opposing forces like innocence and power.

Theme of the Poem:

In William Blake's poem "The Tyger," the speaker is fascinated by the fierce and beautiful tiger, which seems to glow brightly in the dark forest at night. The speaker wonders who or what could have created such a powerful and terrifying creature, asking what kind of immortal being has the strength and skill to shape the tiger’s perfect, yet frightening, form.The poem asks many questions about how the tiger was made, imagining its fiery eyes and strong heart. The speaker also wonders what tools, like a hammer or anvil, were used to create the tiger’s mind and body. In the end, the speaker questions whether the same creator who made the gentle lamb could also have made the fierce tiger.

The poem explores the mystery of creation and the contrast between beauty and fear.

Full Explanation and Vocabulary

Analysis of "The Tyger" by William Blake with simple explanations and Bangla translations:

Line from the Poem	Easy Analysis	Bangla Meaning
Tyger Tyger, burning bright,	The tiger looks fierce and shining brightly like fire.	বাঘ বাঘ, জ্বলন্ত উজ্জ্বল আলোয়।
In the forests of the night;	The tiger is moving through dark forests at night.	রাতের অন্ধকার জঙ্গলে বাঘ চলাফেরা করছে।
What immortal hand or eye,	What powerful creator could have made such a fearsome creature?	কোন অমর হাত বা চোখ এই ভয়ানক প্রাণীকে তৈরি করেছে?
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?	Who could create the perfect and terrifying shape of the tiger?	কে বাঘের এই ভয়ংকর অথচ নিখুঁত গঠন তৈরি করেছে?
In what distant deeps or skies.	Did the tiger's creator come from far away, like from the sky or deep places?	স্রষ্টা কি দূর আকাশ বা গভীর থেকে এসেছেন?
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?	What kind of powerful fire burns in the tiger's eyes?	কোন শক্তিশালী আগুন তোমার চোখে জ্বলছে?
On what wings dare he aspire?	What kind of wings would someone need to reach such greatness?	কি ধরনের ডানা তাকে এত উচ্চতায় পৌঁছানোর সাহস দেয়?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?	What hand is brave enough to capture such power and fire?	কোন হাত এত সাহসী যে সে আগুনকে ধরতে পারে?
And what shoulder, & what art,	What strength and skill could create the tiger's body?	কোন কাঁধ এবং কৌশল বাঘের শরীর তৈরি করতে পারে?
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?	What force could shape the muscles of the tiger's heart?	কোন শক্তি তোমার হৃদয়ের পেশীগুলো গঠন করেছে?
And when thy heart began to beat,	When the tiger's heart started beating,	যখন তোমার হৃদয় স্পন্দিত হতে শুরু করলো,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?	What powerful hands and feet made this fierce creature?	কোন ভয়ংকর হাত এবং পা এই ভয়ানক প্রাণী তৈরি করলো?
What the hammer? what the chain,	What tools were used to shape the tiger, like a hammer or chain?	কোন হাতুড়ি? কোন শৃঙ্খল, বাঘকে গড়ার জন্য ব্যবহার হয়েছিল?
In what furnace was thy brain?	What fire or furnace made the tiger's mind?	কোন চুল্লিতে তোমার মস্তিষ্ক তৈরি হলো?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,	What tool or force made the tiger so strong and scary?	কোন লোহা গঠনের টুকরা তোমাকে এত শক্তিশালী এবং ভয়ংকর করেছে?
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!	Who could hold or control such deadly terror?	কে তোমার ভয়ংকর ভীতি ধরে রাখতে পারে?
When the stars threw down their spears,	When the stars stopped fighting and gave up their power.	যখন তারা তাদের অস্ত্র ফেলে দিলো,
And water'd heaven with their tears:	The stars cried and their tears filled the sky.	এবং তাদের অশ্রু দিয়ে স্বর্গকে ভিজিয়ে দিলো।
Did he smile his work to see?	Did the creator feel proud of making the tiger?	স্রষ্টা কি তার সৃষ্টি দেখে আনন্দিত হলো?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?	Did the same creator who made the gentle lamb also make you, the fierce tiger?	যিনি ভেড়াকে তৈরি করেছেন, তিনিই কি তোমাকে তৈরি করেছেন?
Tyger Tyger burning bright,	The fierce tiger is shining brightly like fire.	বাঘ বাঘ, আগুনের মতো উজ্জ্বল।
In the forests of the night:	The tiger roams through the dark forests at night.	রাতের অন্ধকারে বাঘ জঙ্গলে ঘুরে বেড়ায়।
What immortal hand or eye,	What powerful creator could have made such a fearsome creature?	কোন অমর হাত বা চোখ এই ভয়ানক প্রাণী তৈরি করেছে?
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?	Who would dare to create your perfect but terrifying shape?	কে সাহস করবে তোমার ভয়ংকর নিখুঁত গঠন তৈরি করতে?

Vocabulary

Word/Expression	Simple English Meaning	Bangla Meaning
Anvil	A heavy iron block used by blacksmiths to shape metal	লোহা তৈরির কাজের ভারী লোহার টুকরা
Aspire	To aim for something great	উচ্চ লক্ষ্য করা
Beat	To make a rhythmic sound, like a heart beating	স্পন্দিত হওয়া
Brain	The organ in your head that controls thoughts and actions	মস্তিষ্ক
Bright	Shining with a lot of light	উজ্জ্বল
Burning	Giving off heat and light, like fire	জ্বলন্ত
Chain	A series of connected links, often made of metal	শৃঙ্খল
Clasp	To hold tightly	দৃঢ়ভাবে ধরা
Dare	To have the courage to do something	সাহস করা
Deadly	Something that can cause death	মারণ
Deeps	Deep places, like oceans or the sky	গভীর স্থান
Dread	Great fear	ভয়ঙ্কর ভয়
Eyes	The organs we use to see	চোখ
Fearful	Full of fear or very scary	ভয়ংকর
Fire	Burning flames	আগুন
Forests	Large areas covered with trees	বন
Frame	To shape or create something	গঠন বা তৈরি করা
Furnace	A machine or place used to create intense heat	তাপ তৈরির যন্ত্র বা স্থান
Grasp	To hold something firmly	দৃঢ়ভাবে ধরা
Hammer	A tool with a heavy head used for hitting things	হাতুড়ি
Hand	The part of the body at the end of the arm	হাত
Heart	The organ that pumps blood, or symbol of emotion	হৃদয়
Immortal	Never dying	অমর
Lamb	A young sheep, symbolizing innocence	মেষশাবক
Night	The time when it's dark and the sun is down	রাত
Shoulder	The part of the body between the neck and arms	কাঁধ
Sinews	Tendons, or strong tissues in the body	মাংসপেশী
Smile	A facial expression showing happiness	হাসি
Stars	The bright lights you see in the night sky	তারা
Symmetry	Balanced and even shape	সুষম গঠন
Terror	Intense fear	ভয়