The Equilibrium Of Chaos: A Literary Analysis On The Comparison Between “the Lamb” And “the Tyger” By William Blake

At some point in time everyone questions what motivates evil. In William Blakes works “The Lamb” and “The Tyger” he is overall conflicted, and questioning God on how such innocence, yet such evil coexists together in society. Both poems at large display distinct themes, one being the soft and “good” side of humanity and the other being the dark “evil” side. This being said, it is critical to read the poems together to fully interpret his overall purpose for writing. Blake asks the Tyger 'Did he who made the Lamb make thee?' This question signifies the overall theme in both of his writings. How are two different creations, with two completely different physical drives and purposes, created by the same God? Blake purposely uses contradicting metaphors, alternate tones, and symbolism in each story to furnish his skepticism of God’s intentions in creation.

Blake uses the metaphors of a cute lamb and a murderous Tyger to show the gap in the morals of creatures. He starts “The Lamb” with, “Little Lamb who made thee/ Dost thou know who made thee/ Gave thee life & bid thee feed.” Here, the lamb is giving its life in order to feed the people and later clothe the people. He uses the lamb as a metaphor while alluding to the innocence of Jesus, because like the Lamb Jesus was a blessing that was sacrificed to provide for human existence. This is further shown when Blake says, “He is called by thy name/ For he calls himself a Lamb.” This is a reference from the New Testament of the Bible, specifically in the book of John. Contrary to this, Blake uses the Tyger to show the predatory side of creation. He calls the 'Tyger' twice in the first stanza to get the creature's attention. The poem then offers a view of the creature in the “forest of the night”, which can be interpreted as the darkest of dark. Further, he says, “In what distant deeps or skies. /Burnt the fire of thine eyes?” Even in this darkness, the “Tyger” and its eyes are burning bright like a flame. At this moment, the reader gets a view of exactly how evil this creature is by the imagery of flames in utter darkness— symbolizing hell. 

Additionally, Blake uses opposite tones to reveal his alternate opinions and viewpoints he is experiencing during this time. When Blake wrote “The Lamb”, he had a very positive outlook on society and was appreciative of the purity in humanity. This is apparent because of his use of a naïve and youthful tone. He gives praise to the lamb and, it seems as if he is writing a lullaby. He describes the lamb’s wool to make the, “Softest clothing wooly bright;” so that the reader can imagine how amazing it is through his or her sense of touch. On the other hand, Blake is in a seemingly dark place when he writes “The Tyger”. In the poem, he uses the Tyger as a vessel to depict his true intentions of expressing his disappointment in humanity. He carries a much heavier tone such as, “Tyger! Tyger! burning bright / In the forests of the night, / What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?' He uses the repetition of “Could [or] Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?” to further emphasize his religious doubts: the Tyger being a relentless destroyer that is admittedly beautiful and captivating, but unavoidably dangerous. His writing grows intensely dark, expressing his internal feelings of betrayal for all goodness.

Furthermore, Blake emphasizes his theme through the use of symbolism. He constantly questions how God can create such goodness and such maliciousness in the same world. It appears as if he is comparing the Old Testament God and the New Testament God through his use of characters. In “The Lamb” he closely relates to the New Testament of the Bible by showing the gentleness and of God’s creation. Blake does this by saying “He is meek & he is mild/ He became a little child:”. He is showing the innocence and purity of creation by referring to a young child, which contributes to why he names The Lamb “The Songs of Innocence”. Also, in The Lamb there are questions throughout the first stanza that are later answered by statements. Blake does this on purpose to show the generosity and sincerity of God in The New Testament. On the other hand, Blake explores The Old Testament God, and expresses his feelings of anger and betrayal by saying, “When the stars threw down their spears/ And water'd heaven with their tears:”. He feels betrayed because he simply cannot comprehend how something so beautiful and majestic can turn into something that is life-threatening and ultimately tragic. At this point in time, he views God as something that portrays relentless wrath and discipline. This portrayal connects with many people’s beliefs about God in the Old Testament. Blake has seen so many horrendous things as he aged that led him to have these questions that are unfortunately never answered in the poem. A downfall of his increased wisdom over time leads him to name the Tyger “The Songs of Experience”.

At last, Blake writes each poem five years apart to express his degrading optimism of humanity. He ultimately shifts from a positive and appreciative outlook to a disbelief of humanity’s evil potentials. He uses the Lamb and the Tyger as superficial examples to something with a much deeper meaning. It can be interpreted from examining both pieces; it is difficult to fathom that there is an inevitable balance of good and evil on the earth. How can there be such sinister cruelty around us every day? Through centuries and even decades, these internal struggles eat at our souls. In the end, life as we know it demands a continuous balance between the Eye of the Tiger and Mary’s Little Lamb.

Works Cited

• Blake, William. “The Lamb by William Blake.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 2020, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43670/the-lamb-56d222765a3e1. Accessed 24 Feb 2020
• Blake, William. “The Tyger by William Blake.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 2020, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43687/the-tyger. Accessed 24 Feb 2020