to get me back into blog mode.
The following poem was first published by William Blake in 1794 as part of his Songs of Experience collection. Its subject is the terrible majesty of industrialisation and of nature and of people bowed under change. It is of little surprise that the Songs of Experience was published only five years after the French Revolution of 1789 and during a decade of repression in Britain that arose from fear amongst the rich and powerful of revolution here. So astonishing is this poem that it can be applied 300 years on to what is happening in China as we speak, can still be applied to heartless capitalism everywhere.
The Tyger.
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, & 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 forest of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame they fearful symmetry?
4 comments:
Hello Dan. How you shaping up for the holidays? You okay?
I have a William Blake's Songs of Innocence. With his copper plate prints. Very charming.
I didn't know he wrote this powerful piece, ignorant me.
G,
Thanks for the message. The Tyger poem is from Blake's Songs of Experience.
You ask how I'm shaping up for the holidays, not too well I'm afraid. Someone malicious has made an allegation against me and my life has been plunged into a nightmare as a result. Things have been grim since the 16th Nov when this awful person told a lie about me as a social worker. Fortunately my colleagues have been very supportive as have my friends but it is a hard time nevertheless. As a result I've not been taking much notice of Christmas as my mind has been focussed on other things. I'm hoping this situation will be resolved soon.
Hope you have a good Chrismas in Georgetown.
xx
Oh no, Dan, oh no. I've had a malicious co-worker tell lies about me too, some years ago, I understand what you're going through.
I hope it is resolved soon.
"This too shall pass" is usually my "song" to see me through anything tough.
I hope it passes for you.
G,
You are very kind and I really do appreciate your message of support, honest. I'm hoping that the situation will be resolved on Thursday of next week when management meet to decide whether there is any foundation to the allegations that have been made. On the up side my immediate managers believe me but they have to follow a procedure though this is not a speedy affair by any means. My friends have been supporting me with similar sentiments to yours by telling me this will pass. It can't pass quick enough for me.
In the meantime I've managed to make some progress on developing further the characters for my novel and I've been keeping a list of quirky subjects for the blog which I intend to start again once the dust has settled enough for my sense of humour to return.
Phew.
x
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