Storyboarding is an excellent way to focus on figurative language. Blake never directly states his topic in “The Tyger”, but relies on metaphors to convey his message. Students will need to determine the metaphorical meaning of the tiger itself, as well as several other terms in order to understand the poem. In this storyboard, students will identify elements of the poem that are intended figuratively and explain their significance through images and text.
The tiger represents evil. Like a tiger, evil is powerful, but terrifying.
The Lamb represents innocence and goodness. It is a reference both to the lamb as a meek, gentle animal, and to Jesus, referred to in the Bible as the Lamb of God.
The blacksmith represents the creator of the tiger, a supernatural force that might be God or the devil.
Wings represent the daring spirit of the creator. He seems to have gone too far and flown too high in creating such a creature as the tiger. The creature seems to be abusing his power.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard illustrating different metaphors in "The Tyger".