William Blake employs a range of symbols to convey his themes. He
uses children, flowers, and seasons to represent innocence, while urban
landscapes and machines symbolize oppression and rationalism, exemplified by
the Industrial Revolution in "London." His extended poems feature
characters embodying distinct perspectives on existence. The dual symbol of the
Lamb/Tiger is closely tied to his reflections on the French Revolution. The
Lamb represents childhood innocence, divine love, and the poet's role. The
Tyger's symbolism hints at a geometric perfection, which Blake finds both
awe-inspiring and terrifying due to its fusion of good and evil forces. Like
the Tyger, freedom and revolution possess both divine creative energy and
destructive potential. Blake doesn't romanticize the past; he embraces the
Revolution's contradictory beauty and horror as its source of vitality. He
portrays these forces without seeking a harmonious resolution.
Forests:
In Blake's depiction, the Tyger is portrayed as ablaze within the
confines of 'the forests of the night.' This line possesses a quality that is
both evocative and open to interpretation. On one hand, it could pertain to the
literal forests that exist during nighttime—the same woods and wooded spaces we
recognize, traversed by the tiger under the cover of darkness. On the other
hand, it might operate as a metaphor, alluding to the nocturnal hours
themselves as a sort of (figurative) forest: dense, opaque, and teeming with
concealed apprehensions. Nevertheless, the core essence underscored by this
imagery, revisiting the previously discussed fire symbolism, resides in
accentuating the incandescent radiance of the tiger's fur as it navigates
through the nocturnal terrain. The tiger conspicuously stands apart, capturing
our gaze and potentially evoking sensations of disquiet or apprehension, akin
to the disconcerting experience of encountering a roaring blaze amidst a
woodland's obscurity during the night.
The Tiger:
Similar to the lamb in Blake's poem of the same title, the tiger
serves as a representation of an aspect of God. While the lamb conveys the idea
of a loving and tender God, akin to a fatherly figure caring for his flock, the
tiger portrays a different facet of God's nature. The poem subtly suggests that
God might have created the tiger, but it also leaves room for the notion that
Satan, possibly described in line 17 as one of the fallen angels, could be
responsible. Regardless of the origin, God ultimately holds accountability
since, in Christian tradition, He is the creator of heaven, earth, and hell.
The tiger symbolizes God's capacity for violence and fear,
characteristics seemingly in contrast with the same creator who crafted the
innocent and delicate lamb. This duality of the tiger signifies the enigmatic
nature of God. While humans can revere and adore God's creations, they can
never fully comprehend the intricacies of His operations and perceptions of the
world.
"The
Tyger" delves beyond mere literal tigers, encompassing abstract concepts
that challenge human understanding. God's creation of the world is intertwined
with suffering, pain, animosity, and aggression. As such, the tiger represents
those aspects of both God and the world that human beings struggle to harmonize
with their perception of a benevolent deity.
Fire:
The poem seizes upon the tiger's visual aspect—its vividly striped
orange coat—and links it to fire. This association works to depict the tiger as
perilous and ruinous, fostering an overall atmosphere of tension throughout the
poem.
However, fire also serves as a symbol for imagination, representing
both the supreme creator—God—and the endeavors of ordinary human artists and
craftsmen. The envisioned creator within the poem metaphorically fashions the
tiger from the flames, depicting fire as an essential yet demanding environment
capable of producing something as majestic and fearsome as the tiger. This
notion implies that true creation demands courage, a readiness to delve into
the imaginative realm and generate something new. The fire symbol underscores
the poem's reverence for the creative process.
Moreover, fire could also symbolically link to hell ("distant
deeps," line 5) or Satan in the poem. The speaker posits that God formed
the tiger, yet the possibility (as suggested in line 17) of Satan's involvement
in the tiger's creation, and potentially in evil more broadly, is left open.
Interestingly, though originating from hell, this fire isn't purely negative.
Instead, it's portrayed as a vital element in crafting something as darkly
astonishing as the tiger. By depicting fire as a constructive force, the
speaker implies that even if forces of malevolence like hell and Satan
contribute to shaping the world, they still serve as components within God's
overarching plan for creation.
Industrial Tools:
In the fourth stanza, the speaker envisions the tiger's creator
employing tools, a departure from the previous stanzas. Notably, the tools
described are all reminiscent of industrial implements, lending the stanza a
cacophonous and fiery ambiance akin to a metal workshop. These tools are
employed as symbols, representing a specific kind of creativity where
proficiency and imagination alone are insufficient. Instead, the creator requires
not only skill and vision but also determination and courage to fashion
meaningful creations.
Stars and Spears:
However, 'The Tyger' does not confine itself to the forge. Blake
transports us to the celestial realm through his allusion to stars:
"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?"
The concept underlying this passage is that the resplendent,
ethereal stars, which emit substantial heat on their own, were so profoundly
affected by the sight of the Tyger that they cast aside their spears, possibly
in a sense of despair or even surrender (given that spears are instruments of
combat).
In line with the Book of Genesis, the stars were among the primary creations
attributed to God during the universe's formation. Consequently, the stars'
reaction – whether it's horror, envy, or resignation – upon witnessing the
newly crafted tiger underscores the notion that the tiger's creation transcends
even the magnificence of the stars' formation.
Furthermore,
the terms "hammer," "chain," "furnace," and
"anvil" distinctly evoke an industrial context, contrasting with, for
instance, paintbrushes and canvases. This choice of symbols alludes to the era
of the Industrial Revolution, which was in full swing during Blake's lifetime.
If the tiger is a representation of evil, it's plausible that this moral
assessment extends to the practices of industry as well. However, the poem
refrains from yielding to definitive interpretations. Instead, this symbol
seems to illustrate the coexistence of artistry, unsightliness, and peril
within close proximity.
No comments:
Post a Comment