The Underlying Message of The Tyger by William Blake Essay

The Underlying Message of The Tyger by William Blake Blake’s legendary poem â€Å"The Tyger† is deceivingly straightforward. Though Blake uses â€Å"vividly simple language† (Hirsch, 244), the poem requires a deeper understanding from the reader. There are many misconceptions concerning the symbols in â€Å"The Tyger† (specifically the tiger itself). This often leads to confusion concerning the underlying message of the poem. Compared to Blake’s â€Å"meek† and â€Å"mild† lamb, the tiger is hard to accept. It is a symbol for that which people fear. For some, their fears are not reality, and are much easier to ignore than accept. But no matter how hard to accept, the lamb and tiger are equally important, and together create a balance that is ideally healthy†¦show more content†¦That is to say that good and evil would reside together in every living creature. Blake’s tyger could also be an example of the Manichean way of thinking. Though the religions of Christianity, Monotheism, and Manicheanism (and many more) are quite different in the details of their teachings, they are based on the same general principles. The basis of the majority of religion relies on the existence of good and evil in order to sustain the reasoning behind their beliefs. The tiger, which displays both characteristics, can be a confusing creature for the human mind to accept. On one hand, the â€Å"symmetry† (l.4) of the tiger is attractive, but on the other hand, its potential â€Å"deadly terror† (l.16) is appalling. There is an inherent difficulty in absorbing such a paradox, but the effect of experiencing both at the same time can be referred to as ‘sublime’. The Tyger is a perfect example of the sublime. Basler said that the tyger was a creature that â€Å"convey[ed] terror before a symbol of power to harm.† (12) Paley, in relation to this, states that â€Å"terror is in all cases whatsoever, either more openly or latently the ruling principle of the sublime.† (78) Blake does an excellent job of conveying terror in the Tyger. As readers form a mental image of the blacksmith who â€Å"dares† (l.24) to create the tyger, they might experience (in a diluted form) an idea ofShow MoreRelatedWilliam Blake s Songs Of Innocence And Experience1268 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience, printed in 1794, â€Å"represents the world as it is envisioned by what he calls ‘two contrary states of the human soul’† (Greenblatt, 1452). 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