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The Sound Devices Used Within the Tyger by William Blake

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Where the Sleeping Tyger Lies: An Analysis of the Sound Devices Used in The Tyger by William Blake

The Tyger, written in 1974, is one of both simplicity and mystery. Within this poem written by old English William Blake, there are 13 full questions within this short 24 line work. Though many literary analysts have attempted to forge a meaning from this work, not one theme has a more correct stance than any of the others. One clear symbol within the piece is the Tyger, who represents some form of evil entity, quite possibly Satan himself. One possibility for the theme is that the poet is questioning why God would create such an evil being. This can be exemplified in the first stanza and last stanzas, where the word “could” is changed to …show more content…

Alliteration is used quite frequently in Blake’s work, and is apparent in nearly all of the stanzas. Some clear examples of this sound device are "burning bright" (1) or "distant deeps" (5). These alliterations only further add to the hint at a prayer–like state of the poem, but also go on to help the poem have a smoother rhythm and flow. They are evident throughout the entire piece, and do tend to get quite a bit repetitive at times, but are always used effectively and to put strong emphasis on whatever is being alliterated. These alliterations point more directly towards the specific ideas mentioned earlier, and are Blake’s stabs at again creating a larger focus on the words selected. This is can be easily compared to “highlighting” words read aloud, as the audience and reader will take mental notes of them as they are spoken, and refer back to them when questioning the idea and theme of the poem. Though both assonance and consonance are not completely un-evident in the piece, they are never used to convey any form of meaning or to add any depth to the piece, but rather they both blend to help the writing have smoother flow and not seem as “choppy” as it would without these sound devices. Because of this, these don’t particularly focus on anything to help convey any specific

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