Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Blake's "The Lamb" and "The Tyger"
About half of the critics say that the question, "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" is rhetorical, intended by Blake to be answered "Yes" - The creator of the lamb was also the creator of the "Tiger" and he looked on his work and found it "good." The power of the poem is the power with which it expresses this mysterious paradox in the nature of God, creator of both the rainbow and the whirlwind. The other half of critics say that the question is unanswerable, and was not intended by Blake to be answered one way or the other - that Blake's poem is about the mystery and ambiguity of the universe, which is ultimately beyond man's understanding. What do you think? Be sure to support your response with some evidence from the poem.
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William Blake created many masterpieces through his writing, but most commonly known are the two poems "The Tyger" and "The Lamb", a poem of experience and one of innocence. When juxtaposing these two creations, many individuals who attempt to understand this poem are unable to do so fully because each poem asks a different question that is related to the other. He asks "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" (20) and "Little lamb, who made the? (1). These questions have caused much strife for many analysts of the poems because no one is able to agree on what the poems are truly asking. Some argue that the poems are showing the ambiguity of the universe, yet, others believe that the questions are asking if the creator of the Lamb and the Tyger is truly capable of being the same person. How could someone create something innocent and unsuspecting of the world while also creating a being that is born of hatred and deceit. The main purpose of these two poems is the latter. Blake intends to make man question the God who bore them.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Lamb", the reader sees a poem written as if spoken by a child. The speaker is asking of the lamb whether or not it knows its creator, who bestowed upon it "clothing of delight" (5) and "a tender voice" (7), characteristics that people find appealing and attractive because they show innocence and happiness. Then the poem goes on to acknowledge the similarities between this lamb and the Lamb of God, or Jesus Christ. This savior "became a little child" (16) and grew to be "meek" (15) and "mild" (15), the kind of characteristics people want to have and want to believe that their creator is making.
Yet in "The Tyger", the reader sees the opposite of this. In the first poem, God can be pictured as a kindly man who lovingly creates the lamb by molding and sculpting it like clay with care and love. This is the creator that the reader would imagine. Yet, the creator of the "Tyger" is personified as a mighty blacksmith who uses his "hammer" (13), "chain" (13), "furnace" (14), and "anvil" (15) to create the fiery being that is the "Tyger" (1). The "Tyger" who's fur is orange and black, signifies passion and aggression just like the fire in which it was created.
The entire poem is based on the existence of this unknown maker, a maker who would be willing to create innocence and sin, death and life, love and hate. Both poems revolve around the questions of who the creator is. Nowhere does it speak of the universe and its ambiguity, but everywhere, in each crease and crevice of the poems, this mysterious creator exists to create pondering thoughts in the reader. The reader first must ask "Who could create both the tiger and the lamb?" One was created to destroy the other. Why would any loving and caring creator choose to do such a thing? This is the true mystery of these poems, not whether or not the mysteries of the universe could create such a situation. Religion is always a source of mystery, and by basing his questions in this way, William Blake makes his reader think of the question of religion and whether not an all mighty creator exists.
Hannah,
DeleteFirst things first watch your autocorrect, on this assignment I feel it got the better of you. Check your final sentence of your first paragraph, the autocorrect inserted a period. Just a little something to remember for future reference. Your examples were well structured in the second and third paragraph. I feel like you could've expanded on your examples a bit further, but that's just me. Your last paragraph did well to bring your blog together. I don't believe that the tiger was designed to destroy the lamb. I believe that they are meant to exist as polar opposites, like that of the an atom. Either way, your blog brought up some points to consider, well done.
Hannah,
DeleteI feel like we have some of the same views. I also added in some of the same tools used in my blog. My favorite part was when you mentioned the colors of a tiger. As dumb as this sounds, I completely forgot about it. It painted a picture that I had not seen. Instead of seeing these poems as being black and white I saw "The Lamb" as being white, due to innocence, and I saw "The Tyger" as fiery. Like he became feisty because he could not find the answers. I loved that you mentioned that. I appreciate these poems more now. Great job! That little bit of color created so much imagery. This was well written, and thought about thoroughly. The examples were great and explained your beliefs.
Hannah,
DeleteWe definitely have similar perspectives on this topic. I thought it was smart of you to discuss the creator portrayed in both poems. Like Kaitlin, I totally missed the color comparison of the lamb and the tiger and what it signifies. Although the orange and black of the tiger illustrates aggression and passion, I didn't think the tiger was entirely that way. I just get the feeling that the tiger was afraid of the light and goodness the lamb represented, and the only thing he knew was anger to overcome this fear. Either way, I really liked your blog, and it showed me a different point of view towards these poems, something I always hope for with these blogs. Great job!
"The Lamb" and "The Tyger," when read together, ask the whether or not the "God" (19) who created the "Little lamb" (1) could have also made the "Tyger" (1). William Blake, the author of both poems, uses several methods to show how different the two animals are: description, comparisons, and structure. The "Little lamb" is "woolly [and] bright" (6) and has a "tender voice" (7). It's temperament is "meek" (5) and "mild" (5) like that of a "little child" (6). The "Tyger" (1) on the other hand is dangerous and mysterious with it's "bright" (1) eyes that burn in "the night" (2). Everything about the "Tyger" (1) is "fearful" (4). The two animals are opposites, and that would make it seem as if their makers are, too. The speaker even asks the "Tyger" (1) if "he who made the Lamb" (20) could have also made such a terrifying beast as the Tyger.
ReplyDeleteThe Lamb is compared to "He who calls Himself a Lamb" (14), meaning Jesus. The Lamb is especially similar to Jesus when he was a "child" (16) like the speaker. In the final lines, the speaker says "God bless thee" (19) because he believes that it was God who made the Lamb. In the poem, God is the creator, and the creator is depicted as the one who gave the Lamb "life" (3), "feed" (3), "softest clothing" (6), and "a tender voice" (7). Everything about the Lamb is good and sweet which makes God appear to be kind and loving. But if God also created the Tyger, what kind of creator is he? The creator of the Tyger has "dread hand" (12) and "dread feet" (12). They created a "fearful" (4) beast and are compared to a blacksmith who uses a "hammer" (13) and "chain" (13) to craft their "art" (9). The speaker wonders whether the creator of the Tyger was from "distant deeps or skies" (5) meanings Hell or Heaven. And, if the one who created the Lamb did also create the Tyger, was God able to "smile" (19) when he saw what he had made.
The poems are made as different as the animals in their structure. "The Lamb" is divided into two stanzas, each with ten lines. Each of the lines stops naturally and the words used are very child-like. The poem is sweet, innocent, and simple just like the Lamb. "The Tyger" is comprised of six four line stanzas. Both of the poem rhyme, but "The Tyger" has less natural stops at the ends of its lines. The words used are more symbolic and, unlike in "The Lamb", the question of who made the Tyger is never answered. It can be argued that Blake meant "The Tyger" to be a rhetorical question that invoked thoughts from the reader, but I think that he was trying to show the reader that God was capable of both wonderful and terrible things. In the Old Testament, God floods the earth, banishes humans from Eden, let's His people wander in the desert and does many other things that we could consider horrible. He is seen as a powerful and vengeful God. But in the New Testament, He seeks to send messages of peace through His Son, Jesus, whom He is willing to sacrifice. I think that Blake wanted to present both sides of God to the reader, to show that God is as loving and forgiving as he is powerful and dangerous. God is a paradox. He has been and always will be. He is everything and nothing. Blake created two poems that show his readers how endless and inexplicable God is.
Ann,
DeleteThis was such an interesting way to set up your argument. Your first two paragraphs hinted that you believed that William Blake was writing about God and the paradox that His existence creates. However, you kept the reader interested by first analyzing the differences in the two poems, noting that "The Lamb" was more of an innocent, childlike poem that was simplistic in nature as compared to "The Tyger" which was split into a more complex poem with slightly more complicated words and ending places. Then, in the last paragraph you really brought your opinion to a close with some excellent facts and thoughts that brought the whole work together into one complete circle. This was really interesting Ann. We both agree that these two poems are questioning the mystery of God, but we both went about it in different way. Your argument form always helps me to think of ways to improve mine, and that's why I love being able to see other people's opinions on these blogs. Good work Ann!
Ann,
DeleteI truly loved your blog, and the way you presented your examples were well put. The way you presented your examples, were spot on. In your first paragraph, your examples were well spoken and supported. My favorite part however had to of been your third paragraph. The comparison you made between the context was key. Not being brought up in a catholic household, I didn't fully understand the biblical references. After reading your third paragraph I felt a little more enlightened, not only on the biblical side of the pieces, but also on the poetic side.
On the more critical side the Tygre, isn't being compared to a blacksmith. Instead the Tygre is being compared to one of his master piece. Also as a historically oriented individual, the idea of a single artist/creator making these two specimens, is completely understandable. One idea that we can all picture, besides the biblical reference, is the Civil War. Two completely opposite sides of the war, that came from one country. It might not be the best example but it's something that can also apply. These are just some of my speculations nothing major, but well done, Ann.
Ann, you used a lot of sources from the poem throughout your blog which I think really helped with your points. You set up your blog very interestingly. I wasn't expecting it. You picked out a lot of adjective throughout the poem which helped to emphasize the pouts you were trying to make. I wish you would have stated a little more of your opinion rather than just what the poem told and what we talked about in class however. Your second paragraph was my favorite because you stepped out of the box a little bit and mentioned Jesus and how he was the little lamb. I also think he helped show the description of the Tyger because he helps us as human beings become more like the innocent little lamb. When you wrote "distant deeps or skies" (5)" which you referred to meaning heaven and hell. I really liked that part. I have to agree and disagree with you on certain parts, but overall I think you did a very good job!
DeleteWilliam Blake questions the creatures' origins in both "The Lamb" and "The Tyger." In "The Lamb," the speaker questions "Little Lamb, who made thee"(1), and in "The Tyger" the speaker wonders "What immortal hand or eye/Could frame thy fearful symmetry?"(3,4). Both of the poems then connect the animals' origins to address a greater theological question about the Creator's role in nature. Through addressing each animals' characteristics and posing further questions, the speaker of "The Tyger" Blake wonders at the fearful construction of "The Tyger" and even references "The Lamb" poem asking:"Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" (20 The Tygre) This question is often left unanswered, with the ambiguity of the universe, for different readers could interpret this piece in different fashions.
ReplyDelete"The Tyger" and "The Lamb" feature animals that are practically opposites; one being fearsome predator and the other, a "meek"(15), innocent animal. The tones of "The Lamb" and "The Tyger" are strikingly different too. Blake uses dark, powerful imagery to create an awed tone in "The Tyger", much like the menacing beast it portrays. Whereas the tone of "The Lamb" is gentle and crooning, much like the way one would address a child. Readers can interpret these images of the tiger and the lamb as a diptych set of poetry, two pieces that compliment each other. Also a reader could interpret different ways depending on the way the reader was raised, such as yin and yang, life and death, good and bad, or war and peace. So the question falls to what being could make something so pure and innocent, then turn around and make something so cynical and immoral.
In The Lamb, Blake shows the reader a lamb, the focus of the piece, and a child, the speaker of the piece. These two symbols of innocence and religion are the basic vessels of this piece. These two symbols live in a world of peace and tranquility, where a child asks and answers questions to a "Little Lamb"(8). The boy, with his innocent mind, makes the connection that baby Jesus was also called the lamb of God when says “We are called by His name” (18, The Lamb), and the images Blake shows throughout represent love and a relationship with Christ.
Contrasting the Lamb is the Tiger, a blood thirsty animal. Adding ferocity of the tiger is that it is forged from fire, with eyes that "burning bright"(1, The Tygre). Also the tiger is more knowledgeable and experienced in the game of survival then the lamb. The image of the tiger contrasts Christian innocence by invoking pagan symbols. "Fire"(6), can best be seen as an analogy to Hephaestus, the legendary Greek God who brought fire, metalworking, and essentially knowledge, to mankind. Which corresponds to the fourth stanza of The Tygre, where it talks of the blacksmith. It is only fitting Blake moves away from Christian symbols to show a maturation process in a person, as people themselves become less pure they become more knowledgeable on the ways of the world.
Blake is ultimately showing that as people grow up, they too, like the tiger, become forged from the metaphorical fire, and begin to become vicious killers in the forests of the night. They no longer are the lambs of this world, sitting in a nice garden, sheltered away from the rest of the world.
Devon,
DeleteThis was an interesting post, and it helped me to understand these two complimentary poems even more. First of all, let me commend you for using "diptych" to describe these poems. That was well done, and it complimented your piece. I like how you connected "The Tyger" with loss of purity and then used that to connect how a person turns away from religion. I didn't make the connection between fire and Hephaestus, but once I read it in your post, the entire scenario clicked and I grasped the information that you had provided. This contrast between the "pagan" and catholic faiths was applicable and thought provoking. Your last paragraph was very well written and it brought your whole opinion to a good ending place where the reader could feel that you had summed up your entire post in those words. This was an excellent post. Good job Devon!
Devyn, I have to agree with Hannah. I wasn't aware of a lot of the points you mentioned such as Hephaestus. I was glad you mentioned it because it made it even easier to understand while also giving me a new perspective to approach the poem with. The fact that you described the poems using "diptych" like we talked about in class showed that you were paying attention and also make evident that you were able to use it in contexts which is the true challenge when it comes to new words. I mean, what's that point in knowing a lot of words if you can't use them in a sentence? There isn't one. I could not agree with your last few sentences anymore. The Tyger is there to compliment the Lamb and tell how people grow up and can sometimes make bad choices. Good work!
DeleteTo be honest, I probably love these poems, "the lamb" and "the tiger", more than I should. I personally think that both of the poems are so unique and beautiful in their own ways. Their contradictions play off of each other in the best way possible, not only grabbing the attention of the audience but keeping it long after the poems are finished. Both poems are so extremely different. Each can be read on their own, but I highly recommend reading "the lamb" first, and then "the tiger" to achieve the full effect. Both poems have one thing in common, and that is religious beliefs. "The lamb" is told from a young child's perspective. Innocently, the child believes in God and gives a little religion lesson to an actual lamb, and tells the lamb about Christ. The tiger is quite different. As a class, we decided that we thought this poem was spoken from the child's point of view, only after the child has grown up and seen more of the world and how cruel it really can be. The speaker describes a tiger in all of power, wondering why a God so great would create something so evil. "The tiger" seems to be from an atheist's point of view in my opinion, or simply a confused, doubting catholic. While I am a practicing Catholic and a firm believer in God, I still must admit I like the poem "the tiger" better than "the lamb."
ReplyDeleteIn my mind, I think that there is another reason that "the lamb" and "the tiger" are meant To be read one after the other. In nature, the lamb is innocent and practically defenseless while the tigers first instinct is to kill, being built so powerful it almost makes it all too easy. Why would God create an animal so defenseless, almost as if it were there only for the sick amusement of the tiger- I think that is the real question. How ever, I don't think that either question could or should be answered. The point of the poems was not to prove a point, but to provoke thought.
I am not a doubting Catholic. I am a firm believer in my faith. Although, I do still wonder questions like these. I often wonder why bad things happen to people and how we as humans stumble across the situations that we do, but I know that the answer is "free will," dealing with Adam, eve, the fruit, and the tree, but do animals have free will? What did the poor sheep do to deserve a defenseless death? But then again, I believe there is a quote that states "the meek shall inherit the world." The lamb is seen as meek and humble, and maybe we should take a lesson from the lamb and not fight back, and that is our way into heaven. But still, there is the story of the man who drowned. There was a flood and people kept offering him help, but he refused saying that God would save him. After the man denied the help, he died and asked God, "why didn't you save me?" God replied saying he tried, as he sent the man who offered him help. The moral of the story being that you need to use Gods gifts to protect yourself. If our ability to defend ourselves is a gift from God, then shouldn't we do so? I could go on and on about this silent argument I hold in my head, but it would do no good as I have already rambled enough.
Felicia,
DeleteI love the example you provided at the end of your blog. That story provides a great support of your belief. I am also a strong believer in God, but at the same time I have thought of questions that can never be answered. It is a struggle dealing with pain and loss when someone so good does not deserve it. But that is just what we see. Is that person really good? Or do they just appear to be good in the outside? I feel like "The Tyger" may question this about "The Lamb." The lamb is supposedly innocent, but when they get out of their fence they get lost. It is hard for them to find their owner. The tyger, on the other hand, is not afraid to question his "owner." He will become closer than the Lamb will.
I feel if we follow guidelines strictly than we will become emotionless. If we stay inquisitive and wondering like "The Tyger" suggests than we will become closer to God. Over time, being a lamb we will lose our way because we will be fed up with the pressure of having to do everything perfectly.
"The Lamb" and "The Tyger" by William Blake have readers in a fuss. There are many views on the way these two poems are observed. I believe that "The Lamb" and "The Tyger" are meant to resemble that these animals were created by one overall power. The reason I feel that the two poems were written together is because "The Tyger" makes a reference to "The Lamb." These tells readers right away, if they know William Blake's poetry, that something is familiar within "The Tyger." This small connection has brought many questions to mind.
ReplyDeleteThe question is "who made thee?" (10). The "little lamb" (1) in "The Lamb" resembles Jesus Christ. I was able to understand this from the description the speaker gave. The lamb and Jesus are "meek" (15) and "mild" (15). Jesus is the savior in many faiths. His story began when he "became a little child" (16). Through his life he taught many people about God. He knew when his death was going to take place the night before, and shared His Last Supper with his disciples. During this supper, He "gave thee life, and bid thee feed/ By the stream and o'er the mead" (3-4). Jesus turned the bread they were eating into His body, and the wine into His blood. This sacrifice proved his love and kindness to all.
The speaker in "The Lamb" is a "child" (17). The "child" (17) is attempting to understand who created Jesus if He only had a mother, who was a virgin. At the end of the poem they understand who created the "Little lamb" (20). "God bless thee!" (20) he exclaims. He has found the way. In the "The Tyger," I saw the speaker to be older than the "child" (17) in "The Lamb." This speaker is inquisitive. They want to know "what" (3) is the answer. Thirteen times, the speaker questions the "tyger" (1). He wants to know who is the creator. The speaker is not only asking who created the lamb, but who created them. It is not a matter of who is the creator, but who created them.
The fourth stanza depicts what the speaker thinks of this creator. They refer this person to a blacksmith with tools like a "hammer" (13) and "chain" (13). I would be scared of anyone with those tools. They could abuse the power they have; the exact reason why the speaker asks five question in four lines. They are afraid of what may happen with the power this person holds. Will they abuse it? Or will they serve the will of the people? This feeling worries the speaker. That is seen throughout "The Tyger."
Most people picture God as this "immortal" (3), "winged" (7), and a strong artist. So "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" (20). Instead of trusting his instincts like the "child" (17) in "The Lamb," the speaker asks question after question about something that can never be truly known. God will remain a mystery on this world. Do the questions that are asked matter? As long as the speaker is alive and well, there should be no problem. But many people feel this need to find themselves. I believe we all go through a finding of our true selves. "The Tyger" is written to contradict our feelings about the creator. It makes the reader think long and hard about these questions. They do matter. They test the our belief in God.
The reason the lamb and the tyger is used is due to the kind of animals they are. Lambs are seen as soft creatures, whereas this tyger is used to depict a ferocity within the questions asked. The child is practically begging, like children do, for the answer. After they think about it, they find the answer on their own becoming excited. The older speaker is demanding to know the answers to their questions. They do not take the time to think. This blinds their ability to understand what really matters.
Kaitlin,
DeleteGreat job on your blog! You did an excellent job analyzing and you used multiple examples from both of the poems throughout your entire blog. That really shows how well you understood the poem along with how deeply you analyzed it. In your last paragraph, you did a great job explaining your thoughts. Some of them were somewhat new to me, like the child begging for an answer. I didn't get this when I read it, but I see where you were coming from. However, I do not think that the child was asking the lamb for an answer, I think the child was questioning the lamb to see if they knew, such as a teacher questions a student. That is a great new perspective though and ties into your thoughts of the tiger, with the older man demanding an answer. Over all, your blog was very well written and I enjoyed it! Great job!
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ReplyDeleteWilliam Blake is an artist not only with paintings, but also with poetry. "The Lamb" and "The Tyger" are two of Blake's most famous poems. They have to deal with experience and innocence. The Lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ who is often called The Lamb Of God. The tiger mentions is used to represent the devil and all the evil things he tries to do. The main question when reading the two poems is could the one who created something as good as the lamb also create something as demented and horrible as the tiger.
ReplyDelete"The Lamb" is repetitive, "little lamb, who made thee?" (1/9/11/12). The entire piece asks who created the lamb and all of its goodness. "The Tyger" isn't as repetitive "Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright" (1/21) is only repeated twice. This isn't completely relative to the main question being asked, but it is still relevant to the poem. The innocence of "The Lamb" is like that of a small child from which is the perspective we read the poem. "The Tyger" is read from the perspective of an older, more experienced, mature person. Because of this, I believe "The Tyger" is from the perspective of the original person but once they are older and have experienced more of the world. They have seen that the world isn't all good.
The Lamb is a creature that is pure and good. The Tyger is a creature that has some essence of evil. I believe that the tyger was created to contrast the lamb because nothing in the world is 100% good. The tyger is used as the opposite of the lamb and because of this, the two accent each other very nicely and allow the poems to be read more deeply.
Although I don't believe that someone can be completely evil or completely good, I believe that "The Tyger" is a more accurate poem. The two poems especially "The Tyger" which says "did he smile his work to see?/ did he who made the Lamb make thee?" (19/20) even question how a created could make something so perfect and pure and full of innocence like the Lamb and also something so horrible as the Tyger. I believe that because of original sin, the Tyger had to be created. There once used to be just the Lamb, but then things happened and the Tyger, who was once a lamb just like the devil was once an angel, became a symbol of the lack of innocence for the world around us.
Jessica,
DeleteExcellent blog. It may seem small and insignificant, but I loved how you opened your blog mentioning that Blake was an artist in more ways than one, also being a painter. I forgot we discussed this in class! Put really goes to show just how creative Blake is and how he can apply his mind in more ways than one in multiple different forms as well. I also love how you ended your blog with the fact that the devil was once an angel... Looks can be deceiving! However you could have gone a bit more into detail with that to help tie it in a little better in relation to the rest of your blog and the two poems. Regardless, your blog was still great. Good job!
Jessica,
DeleteI completely forgot about the artwork depicting the lamb and the tiger, so great job on including that key point! I, too, belive that the speaker of "The Lamb" is all grown-up with experience and narrates "The Tyger." I think that this helps illustrate how powerful the tiger is, as he has overpowered the intent of God. I also liked how you mentioned that no entity is entirely good or entirely evil. "The Tyger" is probably the more realistic of the two, as you pointed out. The world needs a good balance of good and evil to in order to succeed. Overall, this was a very thought-provoking blog!
William Blake has the power to create different meanings in his poems. Take "The Lamb" and "The Tyger" for example. Some critics believe that the two poems are to represent the mystery of the universe, and others believe them to be a paradox for the mysterious works of God, the Creator. I personally think that Blake was intending his pieces for the latter of the two. Many people ask how the same God could create something so good and something so bad. God created both the lamb and the tiger, but the tiger lost its innocence and kindness to dark experiences. This is why "The Lamb" is a Song of Innocence and "The Tyger" is a Song of Experience. The two, innocence and experience, go hand in hand when growing up: you lose your innocence to experience, but not every creation loses it to a dark force.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Lamb," a child repeatedly asks the lamb if he knows "who made thee" (1, 9, 10). The simplicity in this question allows the reader to see the goodness God has created. With his "tender voice" (7) and soft wool, the lamb is approachable and represents the better half of creation: the innocent. The child then goes on to compare the lamb to the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Jesus is "meek" (15) and "mild" (15), qualities that are calming to people who are looking to God for hope. The lamb
"The Tyger," on the other hand, has a dark composition. The speaker could possibly be the child from "The Lamb" that has had firsthand experience with evil, which would explain how these two poems are a paradox. For instance, the "burning bright / in the forests of the night" (1-2) could be the flickering light of innocence in the tiger before it goes pitch black. Later in the poem, the speaker asks if the creator of the tiger smiled when he saw what was made, and if "he who made the Lamb make thee" (20). It is almost as if the speaker is unsure himself, although the question is rhetorically meant to be answered yes. The tiger and God share some characteristics that add to the paradox. They are both strong and dedicated to what they believe in, despite their determinations having different causes.
These two poems make me wonder if all the bad in the world is only that way because they strayed from the innocence they were born with. Everything has the ability to turn evil, but they also have the strength to change back. This is a little off topic, but it was all I could think about when I reread the poems for this blog. Some say that the tiger is an allegory for the devil, and I believe that is correct. The devil was once good, but he became infatuated with power. The same goes for the tiger, who dominates in the jungle. The lamb, on the other hand, patiently waits its turn. This paradox presented with "The Lamb" and "The Tyger" really forces the reader to think, and that is why it is so powerful. How could the same Creator make the lamb and the tiger? How could He stand to see His creation become so dark? I believe that these questions are meant to emphasize on the fact that God knows what He is doing, and that we mustn't question His motives.