Question

What is the tone of this poem by William Blake?

Answer 1

The tone in “The Tyger” by William Blake is mysterious. Throughout the entire poem, the narrator is asking about who it is that had created the tyger. He is mystified as to who it is that would dare to create such a creature. He goes further to ask, “Did he who made the Lamb make thee?” which causes the narrator to wonder if the same entity who made the peaceful lamb had made the ferocious tyger. The theme of this poem is creation. Creation is a very broad tone, as is the theme of this story. The narrator is constantly asking whom it is who created the tyger. This creator may also be the creator of many things, such as the lamb, or possibly even the creator of all things. Creation is the main theme of this poem due to the wonder of who created not only the tyger, but all things. A literary device can be found in line 17. It goes, “When the stars threw down their spears.” This is an example of personification, as stars are inanimate objects yet are given the human ability of throwing. It is also personification in that, since the stars threw their spears, it is implied that they were carrying spears, another human trait.