The Tiger

Tiger, tiger, 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?

Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Dikten är skriven av William Blake, och heter eg. The Tyger (inte Tiger), publicerad 1789. När jag läste engelsk litteratur på högskolan analyserade vi dikten och jag fastnade för den. Dels är den spännande, för hur menade Blake att man ska rimma på eye och symmetry, de rimmar ju endast om symmetry uttalas fel. Och dikten avslutas utan svar på frågan...