II OBJECTIVES A) Introduction to William Blake B) Special features of his works C) Study of the poem The Tyger D) Assignment I TOPIC: William Blake and The Tyger A precursor of English romanticism imaginative poet contempt for the rule of reason against the classical tradition treasure the individuals imagination Fierceness and gentleness are contrasting qualities of the human mind.Fierceness and gentleness are contrasting qualities of the human mind. “I know that This World is a World of IMAGINATIONVision.” and that “The Nature of my work is visionary or imaginative.” “spiritual portraits” of the mighty dead To see a World in a Grain of Sand, To see a World in a Grain of Sand, And Heaven in a Wild Flower. And Heaven in a Wild Flower. Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour. And Eternity in an hour. 一一颗颗沙中看出一个世界沙中看出一个世界, , 一一朵朵花里看出一座天堂，花里看出一座天堂， 把无限放在你的手掌上，把无限放在你的手掌上， 把永恒在一刹那把永恒在一刹那间间收藏。收藏。 Auguries of innocence Auguries of innocence 纯纯真真预预言言 The lines express the relationship between part and entirety. Only do we understand the law of everything and see their common regularity, we can come to understand general situation fro part. In a deeper sense, they suggest the change of infinite and finite, celebrating human self-confidence and freedom and the eternal significance of ones short life.Henry Pars drawing school an apprentice at an engraving business, to make copperplates”. beginning with Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience (1794), the most strikingly original and independent bodies. the capitalists cruel exploitation the capitalists cruel exploitation the French Revolutionthe French Revolution a necessary stage a necessary stage leading to the millennium predicted by the leading to the millennium predicted by the biblical prophets. biblical prophets. He once said the dark satanic mills left men He once said the dark satanic mills left men unemployed, killed children and forced unemployed, killed children and forced prostitution. prostitution. a series of long poems, a series of long poems, Prophecies: The French Prophecies: The French Revolution Revolution Poetical Sketches（1783） Poetical Sketches, his first printed work, is a collection of youthful verse with notes of joy, laughter, love and harmony are the prevailing notes. There are some new elements of poetry in this collection, which are derived from the earlier traditions and hint at his later innovative style and themes. （2）Songs of Innocence（1789） It is a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy and innocent world, though not without its evils and sufferings. In this volume, Blake, with his eager quest for new poetic forms and techniques, broke completely with the traditions of the 18th century. He experimented in meter and rhyme and introduced bold metrical innovations which could not be found in the poetry of his contemporaries. （3）Songs of Experience（1794） This volume of poetry paints a different world, a world of misery, poverty, disease, war and repression with a melancholy tone. Children are central to Blakes concern in the Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. The two books hold the similar subject matter, but the tone, emphasis and conclusion differ. （4) 4) Marriage of Heaven and HellMarriage of Heaven and Hell（17901790） This This work work marks marks Blakes Blakes entry entry into into maturitymaturity. . The The poem poem was was composed composed during during the the climax climax of of the the French French Revolution Revolution and and it it plays plays the the double double role role both both as as a a satire satire and and a a revolutionary revolutionary prophecy. prophecy. In In this this poem, poem, Blake Blake explores explores the the relationship relationship of of the the contrariescontraries. . Attraction Attraction and and repulsion, repulsion, reason reason and and energy, energy, love love and and hate, hate, are are necessary necessary to to human human existence. existence. Life Life is is a a continual continual conflict conflict of of give-and-take, give-and-take, a a pairing pairing of of opposites, opposites, of of good good and and evil, evil, of of innocence innocence and and experience, experience, of of body body and and soul.soul. “Without “Without contraries,” contraries,” Blake Blake states, states, “there “there is is no no progression.” progression.” The The “marriage”, “marriage”, to to Blake, Blake, means means the the reconciliation reconciliation of of the the contrariescontraries, , not not the the subordination of the one to the other. subordination of the one to the other. (5) The later Period: In his later period, Blake wrote quite a few prophetic books, which reveal him as the prophet of universal political and spiritual freedom and showed the poet himself as the spokesman of revolt. The major ones are: The Book of Urizen(1794), The Book of Los(1795), The Four Zoas(1796-1807) and Milton(1804-1820). （ 1 1） His His poetry poetry is is concerned concerned with with social social criticicriticismsm, , exposing exposing political political tyranny, tyranny, economic economic exploitation exploitation and and other other evils evils of of the the reality reality in in his his day.day. Fight Fight for for freedom, freedom, especially especially for for the the inner inner spiritual spiritual freedom freedom of of the the individual,individual, is also a major topic in his poetry.is also a major topic in his poetry. （2 2）Blake Blake writes writes his his poems poems in in plain, plain, simple simple and and direct direct languagelanguage. . His His poems poems often often carry carry the the lyric lyric beauty beauty with with immense compression of meaning.immense compression of meaning. （3 3）He He distrusts distrusts the the abstractness abstractness and and tends tends to to embody embody his his views views with with visual visual images. images. The The nature nature of of his his poetry poetry is is visionary imaginative.visionary imaginative. （4 4）Symbolism Symbolism in in wide wide range range is is also also a a distinctive distinctive feature feature of his poetry.of his poetry. His early poems, fresh and direct, are easy to understand, whereas his later works are rather obscure. Blake was one of the most original poets original in matter and form. He had his own myth, neither Hellenic nor Hebraic, and he wrote in his own way, sometimes in rhyme and meter, sometimes just the sort of prose much like Walk Whitmans Key words: mans creativity the French Revolution contrasting qualities of the human mindQuestions:1. Tell more possible themes of the poem The Tyger.2. In the whole poem, the poet uses 14 questions. What are their functions? T Tyger! yger! T Tyger! yger! B Burning urning b brightright In the forests of the night, In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye What immortal hand or eye CouldCould frame thy frame thy fearful symmetryfearful symmetry? ? 老虎！老虎！在黑夜的森林中老虎！老虎！在黑夜的森林中 燃燃烧烧着的煌煌的火光，着的煌煌的火光， 是怎是怎样样的神手或天眼的神手或天眼 能能造出你造出你这样这样的的威武堂堂威武堂堂？*“symmetry”：It is metonymy, implying that the tigers image is a combination of abstract and concrete. *“immortal hand or eye”: supernatural force.*“fearful symmetry”: It is oxymoron, referring to fearful and symmetrical body of the tiger which is of balanced proportions but at the same time evokes fear. Key words: fearful symmetry (a majestic-looking and awe-inspiring tiger.)Questions:1. How is the tiger framed in the quatrain? 2. How does the poet present such a fearful tiger in the quatrain?Answer to Question 1: immortal hand or eye.Answer to Question 2: (the following key words) trochaic tetrameter alliteration exclamation marks immortal hand or eye fearful symmetry In what In what distant deeps or skiesdistant deeps or skies Burnt the Burnt the firefire of thine of thine eyeseyes? ? On what wings dare he aspire? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand dare seize the What the hand dare seize the firefire? ? 你炯炯的两眼中的火你炯炯的两眼中的火 燃燃烧烧在多在多远远的天空或深渊？的天空或深渊？ 他凭着怎他凭着怎样样的翅膀凌空？的翅膀凌空？ 用怎用怎样样的手的手夺夺来火焰？来火焰？ * “distant deeps or skies”: the deeps of outer space.* “he”: referring to God , the Maker of the tiger.* “What the hand dare seize the fire?”: What was the hand that dared seize the fire? Key words: eyes. (to fetch the fire to make the tigers eyes, stressing the mystery of the raging flame in the tigers eyes. to liken the maker of the tiger to God or artist with great creative skill.) Question: Where and how does the Maker fetch the fire? And what shoulder, And what shoulder, and what art,and what art, Could twist the Could twist the sinewssinews of thy heart? of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand? What dread hand? what dread feet?what dread feet? 又是怎又是怎样样的臂力，怎的臂力，怎样样的技巧，的技巧， 把你的心把你的心脏脏的筋肉捏成？的筋肉捏成？ 当你的心当你的心脏脏开始搏开始搏动时动时， 那得要怎那得要怎样样猛的手腕和脚猛的手腕和脚胫胫？ * “art”：skill. * “twist” ：bend sth into a particular shape, here referring to make or forge. * “sinews”: muscles. * “dread”: dreadful, awful. Key words: sinews. ( a product of God who forged the sinews of the tigers heart with his great power, stressing the functions of shoulder, feet and art, and playing up the makers power.) Question: How does the Maker forge the tigers heart? What the What the hammerhammer? What the ? What the chainchain? ? In what In what furnace furnace was thywas thy brain brain? ? What the What the anvilanvil? What dread ? What dread graspgrasp Dare its Dare its deadly terrors claspdeadly terrors clasp? ? 是怎是怎样样的的铁锤铁锤？怎？怎样样的的链链子？子？ 在怎在怎样样的熔炉中的熔炉中炼炼成你的成你的脑脑筋？筋？ 是怎是怎样样的的铁铁砧？怎砧？怎样骇样骇人的拳人的拳 敢于捉着敢于捉着这这可怖的凶神？可怖的凶神？* “grasp”： arm or hand. Metonymy is here employed to substitute abstract for concrete. The same thing happens to “terrors”, referring to the tiger. * “twist” ：bend sth into a particular shape, here referring to make or forge. * “sinews”: muscles. * “dread”: dreadful. Key words: brain. (an ironworkers work and the repetition of “what”. )Questions:1. What does an ironworkers work suggest?2. Say the main idea of the quatrain. When the When the stars stars threw down their spears,threw down their spears, And waterd heart with their tears, And waterd heart with their tears, Did he smile his work to see? Did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the Lamb make thee?Did he who made the Lamb make thee? 当群星当群星纷纷纷纷抛下他抛下他们们的刀的刀枪枪， 用它用它们们的眼泪的眼泪润润湿了穹湿了穹苍苍， 他是否微笑着欣他是否微笑着欣赏赏他的作品？他的作品？ 他他创创造了你，也造了你，也创创造了羔羊？造了羔羊？* “stars”： It maybe allude to Satan or his fellow-angels . * “Did he smile his work to see?” ：After defeating Satan and his angels, God created the human world, including tiger and lamb. In “Genesis” there is a sentence “and God saw that it was good”.* “the Lamb” ：the symbol of innocence and simplicity. The word is capitalized here, alluding apparently to Jesus Christ, who called himself and has often been called by others a lamb. * “Did he who made the Lamb make thee?” : ( contrasting qualities of the human mind, the unity of opposites, to find social harmony.) Key words: ( to violate his will, not only peace and simplicity, but also something awful.) Question: Give your further explanation of the quatrain according to the key words above. Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright In the forests of the night, In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye What immortal hand or eye DareDare frame thy fearful symmetry? frame thy fearful symmetry? 老虎！老虎！黑夜的森林中老虎！老虎！黑夜的森林中 燃燃烧烧着的煌煌的火光，着的煌煌的火光， 是怎是怎样样的神手或天眼的神手或天眼 敢敢造出你造出你这样这样的的威武堂堂威武堂堂？ Key words: dare. (the poets emotional change.)Question: What is the difference between the first quatrain and the second one? What does the difference reflect?1Analyze the stylistic features of the poem.2Preview the poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.