Question

the tyger
by william blake
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 and what art
could twist the sinews of thy heart?
and, when thy heart began to beat,
what dread hand and what dread feet?
what the hammer? what the chain?
in what distant deeps or skies
burnt the fire of thine eyes?
the distant deeps or skies allude to hell or heaven
how does the allusion affect the meaning of this poem?
the allusion demonstrates the speakers deeply held religious beliefs.
the speaker wonders if the tiger is good or evil
the allusion reveals the speakers admiration of the tigers power
the speaker believes that the tiger is a monster sent to destroy him

Explanation:

The allusion to "distant deeps or skies" (hell or heaven) makes the reader question the origin of the tiger's power. It adds a moral and spiritual dimension. If the tiger's "fire" (its essence, power) was "burnt" (created) in hell or heaven, it makes the speaker (and by extension the reader) wonder if the tiger is a force for good (heaven - associated with divine, pure creation) or evil (hell - associated with chaos, malevolence). This allusion heightens the poem's central question about the nature of creation (as the first stanza asks about the "immortal hand or eye" that "framed" the tiger's "fearful symmetry"). It's not just about physical creation but also about the moral/spiritual implications of the tiger's existence.

Answer:

The speaker wonders if the tiger is good or evil.