Question
Read the poem.
The Tyger
by William Blake
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 watered 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? Reread the fourth stanza.
Which statement best explains how this imagery affects the meaning of the poem?
Responses
a The tools help the reader visualize something being created.
a The tools help the reader visualize something being created.
b The fives questions indicate the poet's confusion about creation.
b The fives questions indicate the poet's confusion about creation.
c The tools show the reader exactly how the tiger was created.
c The tools show the reader exactly how the tiger was created.
d The five questions indicate the uncertainty the poet feels.
d The five questions indicate the uncertainty the poet feels.
The Tyger
by William Blake
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 watered 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? Reread the fourth stanza.
Which statement best explains how this imagery affects the meaning of the poem?
Responses
a The tools help the reader visualize something being created.
a The tools help the reader visualize something being created.
b The fives questions indicate the poet's confusion about creation.
b The fives questions indicate the poet's confusion about creation.
c The tools show the reader exactly how the tiger was created.
c The tools show the reader exactly how the tiger was created.
d The five questions indicate the uncertainty the poet feels.
d The five questions indicate the uncertainty the poet feels.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To analyze how the imagery in the fourth stanza affects the meaning of the poem, let’s look closely at the content of that stanza:
- The stanza uses a variety of tools and processes related to craftsmanship, like "hammer," "chain," "furnace," "anvil," and "grasp," which evoke images of creation and forging.
Given this context, the best explanation is:
**a** The tools help the reader visualize something being created.
This option captures the essence of the imagery in the stanza, as the tools symbolize the act of creation itself, aligning with the poem's exploration of the nature of the tiger and its creator.
While option **d** regarding uncertainty is also compelling, it is less directly connected to the specific imagery of tools used in creation presented in the stanza. Thus, **a** more accurately reflects how the imagery affects meaning.
- The stanza uses a variety of tools and processes related to craftsmanship, like "hammer," "chain," "furnace," "anvil," and "grasp," which evoke images of creation and forging.
Given this context, the best explanation is:
**a** The tools help the reader visualize something being created.
This option captures the essence of the imagery in the stanza, as the tools symbolize the act of creation itself, aligning with the poem's exploration of the nature of the tiger and its creator.
While option **d** regarding uncertainty is also compelling, it is less directly connected to the specific imagery of tools used in creation presented in the stanza. Thus, **a** more accurately reflects how the imagery affects meaning.