Imagery and metaphors

The poem “The Tyger” by William Blake relies on imagery and symbols to convey a sense of reflection and the speaker’s awe and wonder.

Anaphora

Two consecutive lines in the poem start with the same words, to suggest the poet’s doubt and inquiry with regards to the creator of the tiger:​

“Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?” (ll. 19-20)

Allusion and comparisons

The text makes quite a few allusions to mystical and biblical contexts. First, the speaker associates the creator with the Greek hero, Prometheus, who stole the fire from the gods: “What the hand, dare seize the fire?” (l. 8)

Then, he associates him with Scandinavian deities:

“What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?” (ll. 13-14)

Lastly, the speaker alludes to Christian stories and symbols: the fall of Lucifer and Jesus Christ:

“When the stars ...