William Blake

Blake contrasts good in “The Lamb” with evil in “The Tyger.” The title of the first poem instantly implies goodness because of its correlation with Christ, the symbol of all that is righteous and pure in the Christian worldview. Blake encourages this association through his language and imagery. He characterizes the lamb in “clothing of delight” and with “tender voice,” and then refers to the lamb’s maker (Christ) as having the same name and being meek, mild and innocent as a child. On the other hand, the tyger is portrayed as sinister and dark, having “fearful symmetry.” The two poems are very similar. Both ask questions about the creatures’ origins; both use sensual images to characterize the animals. Blake does not express a preference for either the Lamb or the Tyger, nor does the speaker. Blake’s ambiguity is consistent with his argument in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell that contraries are necessary to human existence. By not making one creatur...