Section B · Anthology PoetryWilliam Blake · Pre-1900 (1794)
The Tyger
William Blake · Edexcel IGCSE anthology poem · 30-mark comparison question · Poems provided in the exam.
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Watch first — Mrs Rumsey
Mrs Rumsey · Edexcel IGCSE AnthologyAnalysis of The Tyger
Key analysis
⚡ Section B — 30-mark comparison: AO2 (analyse language, form, structure) + AO3 (compare two poems throughout — not one then the other). Both poems are given in the exam. Quote precisely and explain the effect of specific word choices.
Themes
The power and terror of nature
The nature of God and creation
Evil and innocence (companion to The Lamb)
The Romantic preoccupation with sublime terror
Duality of creation
Form & Structure
6 stanzas of rhyming couplets — relentless, hammering rhythm mirrors the forge
Extended metaphor of a blacksmith forging the tiger — God as craftsman
Anaphora — repeated questions building intensity throughout
The Lamb is referenced in stanza 5 — intertextual contrast: innocence vs ferocity
The only difference between first and last stanzas: "could" becomes "dare" — a shift from possibility to audacity
Key quotes to memorise
"Tyger Tyger, burning bright / In the forests of the night" — image of terrifying beauty
"What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?" — the unanswerable question
"Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" — the duality of God
"When the stars threw down their spears / And water'd heaven with their tears" — cosmic response to creation
"Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?" — "dare" replaces "could" — the creator is audacious, not just capable
Exam questions — 2 questions · 17 marks
1 markStructure
"Could" in stanza 1 becomes "dare" in stanza 6. What does this shift suggest?
A Blake changes his mind about whether God created the tiger
B The shift from possibility to audacity — it is no longer just a question of whether God could create something so terrifying, but whether any creator would dare to. It deepens the moral questioning.
C The poem becomes less confident in its assertions as it progresses
D Blake uses "dare" for metrical reasons only
15 marksComparison paragraphSection B style
Write two comparative paragraphs exploring how The Tyger and La Belle Dame Sans Merci both present powerful and dangerous forces beyond human understanding.
Hint: Compare throughout. Cover: what powerful force each poem presents + how form and language create the effect + what question each poet is asking + a key difference in approach.