The Tiger- Beatrice Margolin

I would argue that the Creature is much more representative of William Blake’s “The Tyger” than “The Lamb.” The Creature, like the Tyger, is set up as fearful being, especially considering the circumstances around his birth and the murders he later commits. The first two lines, reading, “Tyger Tyger, burning bright / In the forests of the night,” set up the Tyger as a fascinating and awe-inspiring being, which I believe the Creature to be. The Creature is a man-made human, who resembles a monster but develops a personality through observing its surroundings, which sets him up as an interesting figure. The following lines read, “What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?” which shows the duality behind the Creature’s existence: his creation is a marvel, but there is also a frightening aspect to the implications that life could be artificially created by man. After the first stanza, the poem turns much darker, especially with the lines, “On what wings dare he aspire? / What the hand, dare seize the fire?” In the context of the novel, this evokes the image of Frankenstein as God, which follows the narrative since Frankenstein is trying to create life through science instead of letting nature create it. It raises questions about his intentions and alludes to the fact that they were not good or pure. This allusion is continued with the lines, “And what shoulder, & what art / Could twist the sinews of thy heart?” These lines ask once again about the intent behind the Creature’s birth and apply negative connotations to it, questioning what kind of being Frankenstein is to create something like the Creature. Frankenstein is someone who appreciates the beauty of nature, so the question posed by the poem, “Did he smile his work to see? / Did he who made the Lamb make thee?” asks how Frankenstein can enjoy nature but try to defy it with the Creature. As the novel progresses, we see the much darker sides of the Creature appear, from his anger to his violence, and it is all spurred on by Frankenstein and his rejection of the Creature, which is why I believe “The Tyger” better embodies the Creature throughout the story.

The Lamb-Hannah McQuaid

After reading the two poems by William Blake, I believe that the Lamb most resembles the Creature from Mary Shelley’s, Frankenstein. I believe this for the following reasons. Although at first the Creature is portrayed as this “grotesque,” “horrid,” and “disgusting” being, he is given these names solely due to his physical appearance. Frankenstein had different expectations for his creation, and once he saw his finished product, he was mortified. In a way, this idea makes a monster of Frankenstein for being prejudice based on appearance. Frankenstein’s intolerance for his own creation based on its appearance makes me, as the reader, sympathize and feel compassion for the creature. Blake repeats, “Little Lamb who made thee Dost thou know who made thee…” This sense of abandonment is depicted within Frankenstein through the Creature. The Creature is not loved by his own creator, instead he is condemned by his creator. In a similar way, Blake asserts, “For he calls himself a Lamb: He is meek & he is mild, He became a little child…,” in regards to the creator of the lamb. In this way, a parallel can be drawn between the creator of the lamb and Victor Frankenstein. Although Victor Frankenstein is ambitious, he is deeply flawed and a coward for not being able to meet the responsibilities that a creator has to its creation. All Frankenstein had to do was feel a sense of pride and compassion for his creation. He fails to do this on every ground, therefore the reader tends to feel sorry for the Creature, or the mistreated “Lamb.” There is innocence somewhere deeply rooted within the Creature for he is only “vengeful” because he is not loved by his own maker. Victor’s cruelty towards the Creature is the only aspect that drives the innocence of out of the Creature. For these reasons, I believe that the “Lamb” is more illustrative of the Creature’s nature based on the context of the novel.