Symbolism in William

Blake's poem Tyger

Abstract
This is a preliminary study that attempts to define symbol with its background and its movement in English
literature. It is a research-based article. This study explores symbolism in William Blake's poem a Tyger. It also
describes how different kinds of symbols are used to creating denotative and connotative meanings of the poem.
In poetry, symbols are usually images with conventional meaning. In order to justify the objective, the poet
makes a partial analogy between images and ideas. The whole poem stands only in symbolic relation with life
and reality. The study addresses poet's philosophy of composing such symbolic poem. This study examines the
different kinds of symbols used in his poem.
Keywords: Innocence, experience, ignorance, sense of wonder, creativity, imagination, symbol, spiritual
revolution

Introduction: The poet was also a radical social thinker, who hated
This poem is taken from the end of the second the king, priest and landlord and blamed them as
part of the book Songs of Innocence and Songs of worms that eat the spirit of common man and pollute
Experience. In the first part, the poet describes child's their relation with other men with god and nature. He
world of innocence where things, people, society, claimed that men still have the tyger- like force of the
religion and human nature are natural and unspoilt. soul which they can use for fighting against the
But the second part is about the adult world of oppression and darkness of the world of evils. Poet
corruption. The king, priest and landlord have polluted believed that every individual revolts against the
the naturally good society, religion and culture. People systems of the society that darkens the natural brilliance
are evil, selfish, cruel, oppressive and sinners. The of his spirit and intelligence. He believed that every
poem interprets poet's philosophy of symbolic myths individual has the natural, spiritual and intellectual
about human life, soul, society, spiritual revolution powers to know the ultimate truth and spirituality but
and the world. Most poems have symbolic meanings. they lose natural brilliance when they grow up into
The symbol is the most complex metaphorical device the world of the artificial systems of politics, religion
of word game. In its simplest sense, it is a comparison and culture. The poet sees a tyger before his mind's
between a concrete entity and an abstract idea. Any eye. The tyger has fearful bright eyes. The eyes shine
object, image, event, story or anything that can be like blazing fire through the thick forest in the dark
interpreted as having broader conceptual meaning nights. Therefore, he speaks of the fierce beauty of
outside the literal and contextual meaning is said to the tyger. He seems to have lived through bitter days.
be symbolic. In that sense, anything in a poem that So, the tyger is poet's symbol for the fierce forces in
must be interpreted in relation to general ideas. In one the soul which are needed to break the bonds of
sense, all words are symbolic because a sound sequence experience. The forest of the night in which the tyger
represents an idea of life and reality is also a symbol. lurks are symbol of ignorance, repression and
The poem describes the world of oppression and evil.
*Lecturer, Department of English, Butwal Multiple Campus, Butwal

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superstition. The poem consists of lots of symbols skies and depth of the seas. He feels that the creator
such as tyger is symbol of fierce strength. Tyger's eyes of the tyger must have got powerful pair of wings
symbolize vision, prophecy and window of the soul. from where he brought the fire that blaze in the eyes
Tyger's shoulders are symbol of enormous strength. of the tyger. The hand that could seize the fire must
Tyger's hands or feet symbolize the skill and hard have some supernatural powers. The creator of the
work. The heart of tyger is symbol of emotion. In the tyger must have had enough physical strength to mould
poem, the poet suddenly sees a tyger and starts asking the shape of the heart of the tyger and its complicated
questions about its creator. Symbolically, the poet mechanism. The creator, who handled the muscular
suddenly begins to realize that there is the force of a heart of the tyger, must be some divine being. The
tyger in his mind; that is the force of his spirit, creativity, poet thinks that the creator had first created the heart
revolutionary and the powerful force of his soul which of the tyger his hand and feet. Perhaps, it is difficult
he can use to fight against the evils of the dark society, to mould the shape of the heart of the tyger. It must
and be free. He begins to realize that his God, however, have been a Herculean task for the creator to create
mysterious and unknowable himself, has given him the whole body of the tyger. The poet wonders whether
not only the gentleness of the lamb but also the force the hand, that created the tyger was the same hand:
of a tiger. The very title indicates the unusual spelling that created the lamb. The poem encompasses a peculiar
of the Tyger that means it is not an ordinary tyger, but tone of wonder and sense of excitement at the terrible
a tyger. Secondly, the tyger of this poem is burning, beauty of the tyger. The note of wonder and excitement
naturally develops into a note of mysticism. He is
which the real ones never do. Thirdly, the forest which
dazed with the supernatural power of the divine creator
is the habitat of this tyger is not at night but of the
who wrought such a terrible being into a shape. Thus,
night. This means that the forest is made of the night.
the poem presents a vivid impression of a vast creative
The night is the material and the forest is its product.
spirit labouring at elemental furnace and anvil to mould
Fourthly, it is not the singular forest but plural forests
a mortal form adequate to the passion and fierce beauty
where the tyger burns. Fifthly, the creator of the tyger
of the wealth of god and the wild furies of the human
is also referred to only in terms of hand or eye, which
spirit. The poet has rendered into powerful expression
means that it is the creation of someone whose hand
of the very essence of the tyger. Therefore, the poem
and eye are emphasized. The small innocent lamb not
contains a peculiar vision of the ferocity of the tyger's
only attracts him but also the most dangerous tyger
form and sense of wonder and terror in the very essence
also attracts him. The present poem is precisely about
of the poem.
the individual in the dark forest with evils and
Concept of symbolism
ignorance; the speaker realizes that there is a tyger-
The word 'symbol' derives from the Greek verb
like fierce force in his soul, which he can use to
symbolism 'symballein' to throw together and its noun
overcome the darkness created by the society in his
symbol mark emblem, token or sign. It is an object,
own mind. The poet is struck by a sense of wonder at
animate or inanimate, which represents or stands for
the fierce beauty of the tyger. The tyger has so shining something else. A symbol is defined as a metaphor in
bright eyes that they blaze like burning fire in the dim which the vehicle, the image, activity or concept used
and dark jungles at night. The poet is surprised at this to represent something else, represents many related
huge shape of the tyger and its burning bright eyes. things. For examples - Journey is the symbol of life,
He finds it difficult to imagine the hands that wrought nature is a spiritual symbol, rose is symbol of love
so fearful a shape as the tyger's. The poet is curious and beauty, flag is a symbol of nationality. Some
to know from where the fire is stolen, which has been images used for representing some abstract ideas are
set in the eyes of the tyger. He doesn't know the source called symbols. In some of the poems, all words are
of the unearthly fire which traces the heights of the symbols.

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 There are two types of symbols: Universal and a concept, the concept into an image, but in such a
private. Universal symbols present widely shared way that the concept always remains bounded in the
association between an object and a concept. Darkness image. A literary symbol combines an image with a
and light are the symbols of evil and good, setting sun concept. It may be public or private, universal or local.
is the symbol of death, spring is a symbol of rebirth, Portrayal of symbolism
peacock is a symbol of pride etc are universal symbols The Tyger is a highly symbolic poem based on
whereas private symbols are different from author to poet's personal philosophy and his symbolic system
author for the reason that poet associates things with of spiritual and intellectual revolution by individuals.
something abstract in the conventional way. Actions The speaker in the poem is puzzled at the sight of a
and gestures are also symbols. Poet can also create tyger at night, and he asks it a series of questions about
private symbols. The symbol requires the readers to its fierce appearance and about the creator who made
be more tactful and resourceful. In poetry, symbols it. But the context and every theory must be interpreted
are usually images with conventional meanings. Clay, according to poet's philosophy of symbolic myths
sky, spring, cupid and dove are some examples of about human life, society and spiritual revolution. It
conventional symbols. Symbolist movement began is necessary to understand each individual symbol.
with a group of French writers Charles Baudelaire, The tyger is a symbol which represents the terrible
Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Valery, Stephane Mallarme and force in human soul and even the human intelligence,
Paul Verlaine. In England and America, poets such as creativity, imagination and sense of rebellion.
Arthur Symons and Earnest Dawson as well as W.B. Tyger! Tyger! burning bright | In the forests of
Yeats, Ezra Pound, Dylon Thomas, Hart Crane, E.E the night,
Cummings, and Wallace Stevens are known major What immortal hand or eye | Could frame thy
symbolist poets. Major symbolist poets in Germany fearful symmetry? (161)
are Stefen George and Rainer Maria Rieke. Penguin In this wonderful stanza, the poet expresses
Reference states: that the tyger is burning because it is not an ordinary
As far as particular objects are concerned, this tyger. The forest is the symbol of corrupted social
kind of symbolism is often private and personal conventions, artificial systems of politics, culture and
and universal. Another kind of symbolism is religion guided by reason, science and satan and that
known as the transcendental. In this kind, tries to supress the good human potentials. The hand
concrete images are used as symbols to is a symbol of skills and artistry; the eye symbolizes
represent a general of universal ideal world of vision, prophecy, sight, creation and window of the
which the real world is a shadow. Sir Thomas soul. Similarly, the night symbolizes ignorance and
Browne, long before the theories of symbolism evil. The context of a person asking questions and
were abandoned suggested the nature of these getting puzzles at the tyger symbolically represents
in his magnificent new Platonic phrase: "The the final beginning of realization and appreciation of
sun itself is the dark simulacrum, and light is the forces of his own soul. The god about whom the
the shadow of god". (886) speaker wonders is also the symbol of universal creator.
Symbols are distinguished from both allegories The poem is interpreted in the light of poet's philosophy
and signs. Like symbols, allegories present an abstract about the human soul and the world.
idea through more concrete means, but a symbol is an In what distant deeps or skies | Burnt the fire
element of a work used to suggest something else of thine eyes?
whereas an allegory is typically a narrative with two On what wings dare he aspire? | What the hand
levels of meaning that is used to making a general dare sieze the fire? (161)
statement. Allegory transforms the phenomenon into In this stanza the burning bright eyes of the

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tyger charms the poet greatly. He expresses that it artists could have made so ferocious form. The strong
must have taken a wide search to find out the bright muscles indicate that he must be very strong and
and burning fire that have been set in the eyes of the powerful. He also guesses that when the heart of the
tyger. The poet expresses his wonder at the eyes that tyger began to beat, the creator must have controlled
have a supernatural glow about them. The speaker it with an enormous amount of strength. He must have
asks questions in wonder. He wonders where the tyger strange hands and feet. The word art is the symbol of
must have been created. He guesses that it could be skill. Ross Murfin and Supriya M.Ray have presented:
in some far away ocean or skies. Its eyes must have A symbol may thus be defined as a metaphor
burnt in those distant deeps or skies. The creator must in which the vehicle-the image, activity or
be desirous to fly on his strange wings which are the concept used to represent something else-
symbols of creative imagination. He must also be a represents many related things (tenors) or is
great artist to give that shape to the tyger. In the broadly suggestive. the urn in Keat's Ode on a
symbolic sense, the stanza means that the creator must Grecian Urn (1820) suggests many interrelated
have created the tyger out of the vastness of his concepts including art, truth, beauty and
imagination, and that he must have been daring in his timelessness. Certain poets and groups of poets
creative imagination to seize the fire of knowledge. have especially exploited the possibilities
The fire could be an allusion to the mythical character inherent in symbolism; these include the French
Prometheus who stole the fire of knowledge from symbolist poet of the late nineteenth early
heaven to give to human beings. The wings also imply twentieth centuries. (391)
to the daring revolt of Daedalus to fly away from the Symbols can generally be used and understood
prison with the help of his art. within their culture. Poets often create their own
And what shoulder, and what art. | Could twist symbols by setting up a complex but identifiable web
the sinews of thy heart? of association in their works. As a result, one object,
And when thy heart began to beat, | What dread image, person, place or action suggest others, and may
hand? And what dread feet? (161) ultimately suggest a range of ideas.
In this stanza, the poet expresses his sense of What the hammer? what the chain? | In what
wonder at the strong workmanship behind the make furnace was thy brain?
up of the tyger because the tyger has a gigantic body. What the anvil? what dread grasp | Dare its
Its heart must be monster-like. The creator of the deadly terrors clasp? (161)
monstrous heart of the tyger must have had a In this stanza, the speaker thinks that the tyger
supernatural strength. The creator must have taken a must have wonderful hands or symbolically wonderful
super human strength to create the framework of skill. Strange hammer, chin, anvil and furnace are
tissues. It must have required a divine power to cast symbols of creativity. His brain symbolizes his
the tyger into its shape. The speaker further wonders intelligence. The poet wants to know what kind of
about the creator of the tyger. He guesses that his hammer and anvil are used by blacksmith God for
shoulders and muscles must have been very powerful. creating tyger's body. He thinks that the whole-body
Tyger's shoulders, shape, muscles, the heart, strange structure is very unique and strange. He imagines that
hands and feet have very symbolic meaning. The the tyger has been wrought into a mould in Smithy. A
shoulders are symbols of enormous strength; the heart great Smith possessed of supernatural skill and
must be symbol of emotion necessary in the creative instruments, which must have carved a tyger into a
being. The hand and feet are also the means of skill shape. But the poet is struck with a sense of wonder
and hard work needed to create something to frame at the enormity of the hammer, the anvil in which it
its terrible swift and slaughterous claws. How human seems to have been processed through. The furnace

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used to heat its limbs, the hammer used to beat the the heaven with tears and ran away in fear leaving
tyger into a shape and the anvil against which the their spears behind. The speaker also wonders whether
limbs of the tyger have been beaten into shape must the same god who made the gentle lamb also made
have been of abnormal kind. The Smith must be no the fierce tyger. The two present a marked contrast.
human being. Therefore, the Smith seems apparently The lamb stands as a symbol of purity, simplicity,
to be a divine God. The poet uses the metaphor of the quality of gentleness and stands for Christ too whereas,
blacksmith, who forms metal with a hammer, furnace the tyger is symbolic of a fierce strength, beastly
and anvil. Whoever god is, he must be mysterious, cruelty. The wonder is how could God who created
strong, creative, imaginative and bold. He also must lamb created the tyger. The conventional sources of
have visions for creating animals. The poet makes an power that control the society are always scared of
allusion to the myth of the blacksmith God. M.H. the free thinkers, the revolutionary and imaginative
Abrams and Geoffrey Galt Harpham remark: artist. Therefore, the speaker has got not only the lamb-
The modern period, in the decades after world like gentleness but also the tyger-like forces that he
war I, was a notable era of symbolism in can use against the domination, oppression,
literature. Many of the major writers of the discrimination, his free mind and soul. Chris Baldick
period exploit symbols, which are in part drawn expresses:
from religious and esoteric traditions and in Objects like flags and crosses can function
part invented. Some of the works of the age symbolically and words are also symbols. In
are symbolist in their settings, their agents and the semiotics of C.S. Peirce, the term denotes
their action, as well as in the objects they refer a kind of sign that has no natural connection
to. Instances of a persistently symbolic with its referent, only a conventional one; this
procedure occur in lyrics (Yeats' "Byzantium" is the case with words. In literary uses, however,
poems, Dylon Thomas' series of sonnets Altar a symbol is a specially evocative kind of image
wise by owl-light). (307) that is a word or phrase referring to a concrete
Different kinds of actions and gestures are also object, scene, or action which also has some
symbolic. The clenched fist symbolizes aggression. further significance associated with it: roses,
Beating of the breast signifies remorse. Arms raised mountains, birds and voyages have all been
symbolizes surrender, terrors symbolize danger, used as common literary symbols. (326)
hammer symbolizes creativity. In this sense, all objects, words, images and
When the stars threw down their spears, | And signs can function symbolically. It is usually said that
watered heaven with their tears, a literary symbol stands for some ideas as it is just a
Did he smile his work to see? | Did he who convenient substitute for a fixed meaning. Symbols
made the Lamb make thee? (161) present an abstract idea through more concreate means.
In this stanza, the stars symbolize traditional It is also an element of a work used to suggest
angels who are afraid of rebellious, creative and something else. Within a given culture, somethings
intellectual spirit. Moreover, the stars are the symbols are understood to be symbols. In some culture, river
and agents of reasons, law and order. The speaker is symbol of time whereas the journey is the symbol
thinks when the mysterious god created the tyger, the of life.
stars of heaven were so much scared. The poet has Conclusion
been greatly moved by the tragic look of the beast and In this way, symbol is defined with its
its fearful symmetry. The tyger is a ferocious animal. background. Moreover, the preromantic poet William
It excites a sense of wonder and awe among the Blake has used so many different kinds of symbols.
beholders. According to the myth, stars also watered The Tyger which is an extremely symbolic poem is

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very unique. Thus, the symbol in his poetry is more If there is no truth, justice, naturalness and order in
often its own starting point, not the end but the the society, every individual is compelled to fight
beginning of the process. He has used the symbols to against false beliefs, teachings, traditions and laws in
evoke world. The symbol in his hand became a true favour of the corrupted powerful traditional people of
metaphor which has evoked the world in terms of the society. The conventional sources of power that
itself. Thus, almost every theory is symbolic in this controls the society are always scared of the free
symbolic poem. As his symbolic power attains maturity, thinkers, the revolutionary, the imaginary artist, the
visionary and the true poet. God is mysterious and
the symbols as well gain intricacy, association,
unknowable. Even if, he has given human beings not
evocative quality and richness. Symbolism seems to
only the gentleness of the lamb but also the force of
have enabled him to make his vision concrete and
tyger. It is concluded that a person has to pass through
substantial. The pictorial presentations of vague,
an innocent state of being, like that of the lamb, and
fleeting sensations and experience have been possibly
also absorbs the contrasting conditions of experience,
only through symbols. It has helped him to express like those of the tiger, in order to reach a higher level
deeper reality something mystical in essence. The of consciousness. In any case, poet's vision of a creative
major theme of the poem is that human beings have force in the universe making a balance of innocence
two tendencies: the tendency of the gentle lamb in and experience is at the heart of this poem. In this
their faith and obedience to the ideal and true, and the way, the poet has used different kinds of words or
terrible force of rebellion and revolution against the objects as symbols so that it is concluded and proved
oppression and domination. Therefore, every individual that there are a lot of symbols used in his poem Tyger.
revolts against the artificial system of society that Thus, the poem Tyger has been justified as a symbolic
darkens the natural brilliance of spirit and intelligence. poem.

Reference
Abrams, M.H and Geoffrey Galt Harpham (2009). A Handbook of Literary Terms; 9th ed. United Kingdom:
Thomson.
Baldick, Chris (2012). Oxford Dictionary of Literary terms. 5th ed. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Ferguson, Margaret and Mary Jo Salter (1995). The Norton Anthology of poetry. 4th ed. California: U.F.C.
Murfin, Ross and Supriya M. Ray (1997). The Bedford Glossary of critical literacy terms. 1st ed. North America:
Bedford Book Publisher.
Penguin (2011). Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. 8th ed. London: Penguin books Ltd.

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