The Tyger (1st draft)

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For works with similar titles, see The Tyger.

From Notebook, p. 109-108, reversed. First draft of The Tyger in Songs of Experience

1543366Notebook 25. The Tyger (1st draft)William Blake
Notebook 25 - Tyger - 1st draft


    The Tyger

1   Tyger Tyger, burning bright
    In the forests of the night;
    What immortal hand or eye.
    [Could del.] [Dare del.] frame thy fearful symmetry?

2   [In what del.] [Burnt in del.] distant deeps or skies.
    [Burnt the del.] [The cruel del.] fire of thine eyes?
    On what wings dare he aspire?
    What the hand, dare sieze the fire?

3   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

    [Could fetch it from the furnace deep
    And in [the altered to] thy horrid ribs dare steep
    In the well of sanguine woe?
    In what clay & in what mould
    Were thy eyes of fury roll'd? del.]
 
4   [What del.] Where the hammer? [What del.] Where the chain?
    In what furnace was thy brain?
    What the anvil? what [the arm del.] [arm del.] [grasp del.] [clasp del.] dread grasp.
    [Could del.] Dare its deadly terrors [clasp del.] [grasp del.] clasp?

    Tyger Tyger burning bright.
    In the forests of the night:
    What immortal hand [or del.] & eye.
    Dare [form del.] frame thy fearful symmetry?

3 And [did he laugh del.] dare he [smile del.] [laugh del.] his work to see?
     [What the (shoulder del.) ankle? What the knee? del.]
  4 [Did del.] Dare he who made the lamb make thee?
  1 When the stars threw down their spears
  2 And water'd heaven with their tears