Saturday, May 26, 2007

best poem ever... "The Tyger"

i like poems. those were always almost 30% of the literature subjects (english and hindi) in school. amazing writings, and i always used to think how the poet thought all these??
remembering them was painful though, and so i dont remember more than 5-6 of them... that too not completely!
here's the best one, which i like the most! Read till the end... there's something more...
Its "The Tyger" by William Blake. Yes, the original was Tyger not Tiger...
here it goes...

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 seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? And 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 water'd 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?
-- William Blake

There was this one more poem by William Blake called "Little Lamb" and this was written before The Tyger. However, this was not as popular as The Tyger. Notice the contrast in the two.
Here's how it goes...

Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Gave thee life, and bid thee feed
By the stream and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight;
Softest clothing, wooly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?

Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb, I'll tell thee:
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb.
He is meek, and he is mild;
He became a little child.
I a child, and thou a lamb,
We are called by His name.
Little Lamb, God bless thee!
Little Lamb, God bless thee!

-- William Blake

1 comment:

Shekhar said...

Awesome poem. Yeah, I've always loved tigers and for some unknown reason. This poem captures the spirit of any tiger-lover. :) Thanks for reminding me of it.