Confusion of Sorrow, and Insight to Satisfaction

Nyomi Mosley

ENG 102

Laura B. Cline

9/25/11

     “I saw no cause for their unhappiness; but I was deeply affected by it. If such lovely creatures were miserable, it was less strange that I, an imperfect and solitary being, should be wretched. Yet why were these gentle beings unhappy? They possessed a delightful house (for such it was in my eyes), and every luxury; they had a fire to warm them when chill, and delicious viands when hungry; they were dressed in excellent clothes; and still more, they enjoyed one another’s company and speech, interchanging each day looks of affection and kindness. What did their tears imply? Did they really express pain?” (Frankenstein, pg.74)

     There were many passages that I was enchanted by as I perceived the book of Frankenstein. It seemed to me that every part of the book I read caused me to think about and feel the depth of the story. As I was reading Frankenstein I realized that the book holds not only a story yet also many insights to the things of life. I found in the passage I quoted above that the family had everything they needed, yet they still wanted more. At times in this world we have all we need yet we still need more. This passage gave me the understanding that in life we should identify the blessings we have, what we need, and be satisfied with those things alone.

     I found that the story of Frankenstein was a tale of sadness and pain; a great deal of which was expressed through Frankenstein’s Monster. This passage explains the basic cause of the monsters pain and that is why I believe it is imperative to the book Frankenstein. Frankenstein’s monster suffered sadness and pain because he did not have companionship and thus he felt unaccepted. I found through his explanation of these people’s lives that he expressed his sorrow in not being able to have what he truly desired through his confusion of their sadness when they experienced the privilege of companionship and much more, yet they still cried for more to come. For to him companionship alone would be enough to give to him peace and happiness that could last for a lifetime.

     To me this passage gave meaning to the pages in Frankenstein through its expression of Frankenstein’s monster’s confusion of these peoples sadness, and also through its insights into life. I found that many other passages entranced me in the book of Frankenstein, and I thoroughly enjoyed what I have read so far, and I cannot wait to read even more!

     I found it easier to understand Frankenstein after understanding some of its background. Here is an online summary that explains the history behind the making of Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein” very well: http://public.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/frank.comment1.html

Works Cited:

Hunter, J. Paul. "Frankenstein." Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein. Chicago: Norton & Company, 1818. 74.

I found the picture here:
Productions, 5. Pints. "Prepare. Protect. Preserve." Arizona Family Trust Estate Planning | Living Will, Asset Protection, Gilbert. Family First Estate & Corporate Services. Web. 26 Sept. 2011. <http://familytrust4you.com/>.

A Poem of Great Meaning (Draft 2)

Nyomi Mosley

ENG 101

Laura B. Cline

9-11-2011

The poem I chose is called “The Tyger” and it was written by William Blake. I chose to write my analysis on “The Tyger” because I could see that Blake really thought about this poem when he wrote it. I really enjoyed going through it because I could imagine what I was reading, and it made me really think. Another reason I chose this poem, was because it accepts and involves some of the Christian viewpoints. Blake suggests that God created the Tyger in all of its majesty. It can be argued that Blake was not speaking of God as the creator in this poem but rather himself. However, if we take a closer look at this poem we can see that this conclusion is not true.

I would like to begin with an explanation of the Tyger as it appears to Blake. To Blake the Tyger is a frightening creature that mystifies him with its structure. The Tyger presented in this poem is a creature of great mystery; with a strong heart and a fearful body. “And when thy heart began to beat, what dread hand? And what dread feet?”(Blake, lines 11-12)  This creature was created by a supernatural being that in turn also created “the lamb” which refers to Jesus Christ. “Did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the Lamb make thee?”(Blake, lines 19-20)

As I read this poem I began to wonder what caused God to create such a frightening creature. As I thought more I realized that this creature was such a wonderful addition to the world because it provides for us an image of how strong we can be. We as humans are positioned above animals and because of this we are also more majestic than the Tyger described in Blake’s poem. I understand that some may disagree yet, I believe God made the Tyger to show us how powerful we are and can be. However, when this thought enters out heads we must be careful not to get over prideful. It is important to remember that we are still under the rule of a higher power, and that is God. As we read on we find that this creature is a great and powerful addition to the world and that its making was the creation of and immortal being and a pure stroke of true genius. “Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright in the forests of the night, what immortal hand or eye, dare frame thy fearful symmetry?”(Blake, lines 1-4)

As can be seen the thoughts in this poem are presented in the way of rhyme instead of meter. Such as Bright and night, beat and feet, aspire and fire, and so on. We find many lines in this poem that rhyme and every line in this poem holds mystery. The kinds of mystery that you can imagine yet still wonder what the author was thinking of when he wrote this poem. The mystery of this poem has the amazing power to enchant its readers and encourage them to read on through its explanation of the Tyger and its creation.

In this poem it is seen that Blake is leaning towards God creating the Tyger and all its majesty. This can be seen very close to the end of the poem: “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?” (Blake, lines 17-20) After reading this I believe that the Lamb refers to the earthly version of Jesus Christ. So then we come to the question of: Who made the earthly version of Jesus Christ? The answer is God, so when Blake asks the question of if the same one that made the lamb made the Tyger he is asking if God made both the Tyger and the Lamb. The answer to his question is yes. However, it can also be assumed that Blake was not sure if God created the animal or if someone else was able to create this profound masterpiece. This assumption comes from the other poem that Blake wrote called “The Lamb” So some assume that Blake created the Tyger as well. Yet this assumption is removed when we come to in contact with two repeated stanzas in this poem. “What immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry?”(Blake, lines 23-24) Asking this question shows that he had the intention of making others believe that God is the only one who could create the Tyger. After all could an earthly person make such a majestic creature? The answer is no, only God could have made such and amazing work of art. Through the greatness of this amazing yet simple creature Blake gave the readers of this poem an example of how there is no one else who could have created the amazing things we see on earth but God alone.

The questions Blake asked when he described the making of the Tyger triggered for me an imagination of a blacksmith creating his masterpiece. In this poem I saw that he took the working ways of a blacksmith and related them to God through the creation the Tyger. In a few lines of this poem we can imagine a blacksmith working hard to create this creature of great majesty. “What the hammer? What the chain? In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? What dread grasp dare its deadly terrors clasp?”(Blake, lines 13-16) What I imagined was a blacksmith with a thought in his mind of what he is going to create. Taking up his trusty hammer and chain that he has used for every project he’s worked on over the years, and pounding in every thought and curve he has envisioned creating this creature. The blacksmith puts his shape into the furnace several times to make it easier to mold while he is perfecting his soon to be work of art. The eventual product is an amazing and frightening creature that began with a blacksmith and a simple yet great idea.

After reading this poem I have concluded that Blake believed there to be this creature called the Tyger. This creature was fierce and dreadful, and frightened Blake just as much as it entranced him. He believed that this creature was created by God and God alone; and he wished for his readers to do believe the same. Through this poem he expressed his thoughts and his emotions on the creation of this animal with questions that were to be pondered and result in a conclusion. He wished for them to come to the conclusion that God created the Tyger, and possibly much more.

Works Cited:

Blake, William. The Poetry Foundation. 2011. 11 September 2011 <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/172943>.

Tiger. "A Cats Behavior." 3 July 2010. WordPress. 18 September 2011 <http://www.theobesecat.com/>.