The Tyger

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

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?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

by William Blake

This text is linked to:
Lecture Notes no. 4
Lecture Notes no. 5
Lecture Notes no. 7

For a version of this poem which appears together with an image of Blake's original painting for the poem, click here. From the site, you can also read the other poems in the Songs of Experience and Songs of Innocence. The Selected Poetry of Blake is also available on the Web. For more information on Blake, you may want to visit The William Blake Page or The William Blake Archive.