Analysis of The Tyger 分析The Tyger

AnalysisofTheTygerbyBackground:"TheTyger",oneofWilliamBlake(1759-1827)’smostfamouspoempublishedinacollectionofpoemscalledSongsofExperience,Blakewrote"TheTyger"duringhismoreradical激进period.Hewrotemostofhismajorworksduringthistimerailingagainstoppressiveinstitutionslikethechurchorthemonarchy,oranyandallculturaltraditionswhichstifledimaginationorpassion.Hischoiceof"tyger"hasusuallybeeninterpretedasbeingforeffect,perhapstorenderan"exoticoralienqualityofthebeast",orbecauseit'snotreallyabouta"tiger"atall,butametaphor.TheMeterandTheRhymeScheme：(thepoemisintrochaictetrameter)Thepoemcontainssixquatrains(Aquatrainisafour-linestanza);anditsrhymeisassonant(谐音),andfollowsperfectlythepatternaabbdueto,inthecaseofthefirstandthesixthstanzas,theword‘symmetry’ispronouncedinsuchawaythatitrhymeswith‘eye’.thesemanticfieldsWithregardtothesemanticfields,therearewordsrelatedtothetoolsusedbyanironsmithlike,forinstance,‘hammer’,‘chain’,‘furnace’,and‘anvil’,inthefourthstanza.Also,wecanfindasemanticfieldrelatedtoNaturelike,forexample,‘forests’(line2),‘skies’(line5),‘Tiger’(lines1and21),and‘Lamb’(line20).But,aboveall,thepoetusedasemantic语义的fieldrelatedtoCreationwhenhewriteswordsorphaseslike:‘WhatimmortalhandandeyeCouldframethyfearfulsymmetry?ThesimplestructureThesimplestructureandthevocabularyhelpthereadertounderstandthemaintopicsorconcepts(思想),whichareEvil,Good,andGodThefirstimpressionthatWilliamBlakegivesisthatheseesaterribletigerinthenight,and,asaresultofhisstateofpanic(恐慌),thepoetexaggerates（夸张）thedescriptionoftheanimalwhenhewrites:‘Tiger!Tiger!BurningbrightIntheforestsofthenight…’However,payingmoreattentiontowhatcomesnext,theauthortalksaboutEvil,andGood,asIsaidabove.Thesetwoessentialideasaresymbolisedinthe‘Tiger’andthe‘Lamb’,respectively(noticethatbothwordshavecapitalletters). Immediatelyafterseeingthe‘Tiger’intheforests,thepoetasksitwhatdeity神couldhavecreatedit:‘Whatimmortalhandandeye,Couldframethyfearfulsymmetry?’Theword‘immortal(不朽的)’givesthereaderacluethatthepoetreferstoGod.Then,inthesecondstanza,theauthorwondersinwhatfar-awayplacesthetigerwasmade,maybe,referringthattheseplacescannotbereachedbyanymortal.Inthethirdstanza,thepoetasksagain,oncethetiger’sheartbegantobeat,whocouldmakesuchafrighteningandevilanimal.Next,intheforthstanza,WilliamBlakeasksquestionsaboutthetoolsusedbyGod.Andhenamesthehammer,thechain,thefurnace,andanvil.Alltheseelements（要素、成分）areusedbyanironsmith铁匠.Thus因此,accordingtothepoet,Godisakindofcraftsman.Afterthat,inthefifthstanza,thepoetaskstwosignificantquestions.ThefirstonereferstoGod’sfeelings:‘Didhesmilehisworktosee?’Inotherwords,wasGodhappywithhiscreation?Thesecondquestionis:‘DidhewhomadetheLambmakethee?’Finally,thelaststanzaisthesameasthefirstonewhichmayindicate（指出）thattheauthorisnotabletounderstandtheworldwherewelive.ThemesTheExistenceofEvil.......“TheTiger”presentsaquestionthatembodiesthecentraltheme:Whocreatedthetiger?WasitthekindandlovingGodwhomadethelamb?OrwasitSatan? BlakepresentshisquestioninLines3and4:WhatimmortalhandoreyeCouldframethyfearfulsymmetry?Blakerealizes,ofcourse,thatGodmadeallthecreaturesonearth.However,toexpresshisbewildermentthattheGodwhocreatedthegentlelambalsocreatedtheterrifyingtiger,heincludesSatanasapossiblecreatorwhileraisinghisrhetoricalquestions,notablytheoneheasksinLines5and6: InwhatdistantdeepsorskiesBurntthefireofthyeyes?Deepsappearstorefertohellandskiestoheaven.Ineithercase,therewouldbefire--thefireofhellorthefireofthestars........Ofcourse,therecanbenogainsayingthatthetigersymbolizesevil,ortheincarnationofevil,andthatthelamb(Line20)representsgoodness,orChrist.Blake'sinquiryisavariationonanoldphilosophicalandtheologicalquestion:WhydoesevilexistinauniversecreatedandruledbyabenevolentGod? Blakeprovidesnoanswer.Hismissionistoreflectrealityinarrestingimages.Apoet’sfirstpurpose,afterall,istopresenttheworldanditsdenizensinlanguagethatstimulatestheaestheticsense;heisnottoexhortormoralize.Nevertheless,thepoemdoesstirthereadertodeepthought.Hereisthetiger,fierceandbrutalinitsquestforsustenance;thereisthelamb,meekandgentleinitsquestforsurvival.IsitpossiblethatthesameGodwhomadethelambalsomadethetiger?Orwasthetigerthedevil'swork?TheAwe敬畏andMystery神秘ofCreationandtheCreatorThepoemismoreaboutthecreatorofthetigerthanitisaboutthetigerintself.Incontemplatingtheterribleferocityandawesomesymmetryofthetiger,thespeakerisatalosstoexplainhowthesameGodwhomadethelambcouldmakethetiger.Hence,thistheme:humansareincapableoffullyunderstandingthemindofGodandthemysteryofhishandiwork. .Toconclude作结论,inmyopinion,WilliamBlakewrotethepoemwithasimplestructureandaperfectrhymetohelpthereaderseetheimageshewantedtotransmit(传达)andthethemehewanttopresent.WhatageniusWilliamBlakewas！Howwonderfulthispoemis！