MULTIMEDIA-ENGLISH
The Tyger - Phonetics – William Blake – Learn English Through Poetry (Britlish - British English lessons)
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Description

One of the best poems in English literature, by William Blake. First you will listen to it, then you will listen again by with subtitles, and finally you will hear it with phonetic transcription, so you can pay attention to the sounds.

Transcript

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 forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Explanations

TYGER (old fashioned spelling)= Tiger.


FRAME= Build.


THY= (old fashioned) Your.


ANVIL= A big iron piece where the blacksmith hits metal by hammering.


WATER'D= (old fashioned spelling) Watered.


THEE= (old fashioned) You (object pronoun)


 

Meaning

An analysis of form and meaning of this poem can be found here: Interesting Literature.