William Blakes The Tyger Essay -- William Blake Tyger Essays

William Blakes The Tyger In The Tyger, William Blake uses meter and rhyme to enhance both the gist and the speech rhythm of his piece. The chanting nature is reinforced by frequent end-stop and catalectic terminuss for the lines. By melding these devices, Blake has managed to create a powerful poem hidden in the casual style of a nursery rhyme. The meter of The Tyger is mostly trochaic tetrameter (four feet per line unhappy-unstressed). Or trochaic three-and-a-half meter, really Blake uses a catalectic ending (the dropping of the last unstressed syllable) on every trochaic line. This, along with the insertion of several iambic tetrameter lines, allows every end syllable to be stressed thus forming a forceful beat to the poem, reminiscent of the tigers power. The set beat goes along with the words of the commencement ceremony stanza to create an watch of a tiger prowling steadily through the dark forest. Blake uses this chanting, plodding rhythm as an almost musical back drop for the reading of his poem where he varies, it simply adds to the harmony. The first instance of iambic tetrameter occurs in the first stanzas last line. Personally, I think Blake switched meters for that line in order to sweep attention to that particular line, and place more than emphasis on the first (and pervading) question of the poem. That line is the first to be non-catalectic, and, as a result, seems more complete which is supported by the meaning of the line. The speaker is wondering what high power could possibly shit created the tiger in speaking of a higher power, it seems only natural that that line should somehow bigger than the others, and have more weight or emphasis. Blake uses the same idea in the twenty percent stanza, where both ... ...to folded steel, he personifies the stars, who waterd heaven with their tears presumptively at the beauty and power of the tiger. This lends majesty to both that which brought them to tears god and that whi ch received the tears the tiger. The stars give the reader almost an outside place on the tiger Blake uses them in order to show what others feel for its majesty, which reflects into what conclusions the reader will draw about the subject. Through his meter and techniques, Blake well manages to execute a chanting rhythm and powerful voice. Demanding questions and vivid images belie the impartial nature of his end rhyme which turns out to be not sincere at all, but to explore a deep, driving question. (All while alluding to his earlier work.) The Tyger, upon close inspection, is shown to both sophisticated and complicated in its methods.