Even though both poems talk about God, they do so with completely different tones. “The Lamb” describes God with a very innocent, naïve and maybe even idealistic tone. It presents him as a benevolent being that has created tender creatures. “The Tiger”, on the other hand, brings out another face of God: the maker of evil. A major difference between the two poems is that in one (“The Lamb”) the author assures the reader that God was the one who created cute creatures such as lambs, while in “The Tiger”, he is not sure if God was actually the one who engendered cruel creature like tigers. The author struggles with the idea that the same being who created all of the good and sweet things in the world could have also designed the things that bring suffering to humankind.
This idea is further supported by the imagery in both poems. In “The Lamb”, phrases such as “Softest clothing wooly bright” make the reader think of soft things, which reflect God’s gentle nature. However, in “The Tiger” God is instead compared to a blacksmith. Words such as “hammer”, “chain” and “furnace” make the reader think of God as someone harsh, rather than someone gentle.
The question that arises when these two poems are read together is if it is possible that the same being who created the good things in the world, such as love, kindness and tenderness could have also created those things which cause suffering, such as war, disease and violence. It is hard to wrap our heads around the idea that love originated at the same place as hate, but the origin of evil has always been a question that has baffled humankind.
This idea is further supported by the imagery in both poems. In “The Lamb”, phrases such as “Softest clothing wooly bright” make the reader think of soft things, which reflect God’s gentle nature. However, in “The Tiger” God is instead compared to a blacksmith. Words such as “hammer”, “chain” and “furnace” make the reader think of God as someone harsh, rather than someone gentle.
The question that arises when these two poems are read together is if it is possible that the same being who created the good things in the world, such as love, kindness and tenderness could have also created those things which cause suffering, such as war, disease and violence. It is hard to wrap our heads around the idea that love originated at the same place as hate, but the origin of evil has always been a question that has baffled humankind.
