The Tyger

As a rule, I have no opinion on poetry. Well, not no opinion, but I do tend to ignore it for the most part. However, this being National Poetry Month and all, I hereby pledge to actually read any short poems that I happen to stumble upon and sort of skim any long poems that cross my path. And so it happens that I stumbled upon a short poem the other day:

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 furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

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?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Not only did I read it, I read the several paragraphs of analysis that followed in its Wikipedia entry. And I enjoyed it in the vague way that I have enjoyed whatever other poems I have vaguely enjoyed. (One question: did people used to pronounce "eye" or "symmetry" differently, or is it a slant rhyme type of thing?) (Also: are you totally impressed that the very same girl who professes no great love of poetry knows what slant rhyme is?) (Lastly: did you know that it's the only poetical-type technique thing I can name and therefore I bring it up anytime I think it might be relevant?)

Anyway, the real reason I'm talking about this: I was reading Neil Gaiman's blog the other day, and he posted this video which is loosely based on The Tyger (and thusly I was curious and went and read the poem). The music is driving and intense, the colors, the puppet, the animation, the stills, everything. People who argue that no one makes good art anymore aren't looking.