“Fearful Symmetry”: The Sublime and the Beautiful in William Blake’s “The Tyger”

William Blake’s “The Tyger” in Songs of Experience (۱۹۷۴) has sparked an intense critical debate among scholars. In particular, Blake scholarship has highlighted the symbolism of the tiger. This study in turn focuses on the phrase “fearful symmetry” in the poem and emphasizes the centrality of this powerful imagery in Blake’s aesthetic vision. To this end, it draws upon Edmund Burke’s ideas of the sublime and the beautiful. Filled with astonishment at the sight of the tiger, the speaker captures successfully the sublime sense of terror in the poem; the beautiful is better reflected in the illustration of the poem, depicting a less ferocious animal with mild and less vivid colors. Drawing readers into his imaginative world, Blake successfully captures the strength and the beauty of this awe-inspiring creature in the text and illustration of the poem respectively.

کلیدواژه ها:

Fearful symmetry ، the Sublime ، the Beautiful ، William Blake ، the Tyger