schlimm

By schlimm

Symmetry

William Blake. 1757?1827

489. The Tiger

TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies 5
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? 10
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 15
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? 20

Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

At work we were talking about poems earlier this week and I quoted this one and it therefore came back to mind when I typed "Symmetry" as title.
As it happens there's also a chain and I do like the reference to the Lamb (yet another poem by Blake).

In evening leaving do lunch with colleagues from work. These links will not be lost and there will be others. Christmas Night Out for one.
Poor R and C had to travel all the way back to Glasgow at night in the snow, I'm glad they made it to the night out and back again.

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