The Tyger - drafts and publication William Blake encoded by Brian Jay Stanley

Brian Jay Stanley

Norton Anthology of English Literature, Seventh Edition, Volume 2

 The Tyger William Blake 1st draft 1790-1792 Tyger Tyger burning bright In the forests of the night What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry In what distant deeps of skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes On what wings dare he aspire What the hand dare seize the fire And what shoulder & what art Could twist the sinews of thy heart And when thy heart began to beat What dread hand & what dread feet Could fetch it from the furnace deep And in thy horrid ribs dare steep In waht clay & what mould Were thy eyes of fury rolld What the hammer what the chain In what furnace was thy brain What the anvil what dread grasp Dare its deadly terrors clasp Tyger Tyger burning bright In the forests of the night What immortal hand & eye Dare frame thy fearful symmetry The Tyger William Blake 2nd draft 1790-1792 Tyger Tyger burning bright In the forests of the night What immortal hand & eye Dare frame thy fearful symmetry And what shoulder & what art Could twist the sinews of thy heart And when thy heart began to beat What dread hand & what dread feet When the stars threw down their spears And waterd 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 & eye Dare frame thy fearful symmetry The Tyger William Blake Final draft 1790-1792 Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps of skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes! On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand, dare sieze the fire? And what shoulder, & what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand? & 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? The Tyger William Blake Published version 1794 Tyger! Tyger! burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps of skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand dare sieze the fire? And what shoulder, & what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand? & 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?