18 July, 2013

{poetically plagiarized} Blake

A fellow blogger recently petted a lion! I was reminded of Blake's poem which so wonderfully describes the tiger as beautiful but terrifying. Runs deep does this poem.

    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 sieze 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 watered 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, 1794