The Tiger vs. The Lamb

Thesis: In the two poems, William Blake contrasts the creation of a Tiger and a Lamb, by the same God.

Body One: Both poems discuss the creation of a being by God. The first poem describes the who created the Lamb, and the second poem describes who creates the Tiger. Each animal is spoken to in a different, contrasting tone.

• "Little Lamb, who made thee?/ Dost thou know who made thee?" (The Lamb 1-2). In the The Lamb, the speaker asks the Lamb, in a superior tone. The speaker looks down on the Lamb as one would with a child. 
• "Tiger! Tiger! burning bright/ In the forests of the night,/ What immortal hand or eye/ Could frame thy fearful symmetry" (The Tiger 1-4) In The Tiger, the speaker speaks to the tiger at an equal level. The tone used by the speak in The Tiger is fearing and ominous than the tone used in The Lamb.

There are two distinct tones used in either poem. While each talks about the work of God and his creations, the tones of each poem contrast each other. 

Body Two: The speaker in both poems addresses that the animals are created by God. In The Lamb, the speaker is sure that the Lamb is a creation of God. However, in The Tiger, the speaker questions if God could make such a fearful being.

• "Little Lamb I'll tell thee!/ He is called by thy name,/ For he calls himself a Lamb" (The Lamb 12-14). The speaker is sure that God (Jesus - The Lamb) would create a creature that bears his own name. He is sure that the such an innocent and pure animal, such as the Lamb, must be created by benevolent God.
• "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?" (The Tiger 17-20). The speaker asks a rhetorical question to the tiger: "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" (20). He does not understand how God could make such a intimidating being. 

Body Three: The overall comparison of the poem is between God's creations. The Lamb is a perfect creation of God. The tone towards the Lamb is innocent, and the speaker does not question the animal's existence. But the Tiger is seen as a frightening beast. The speaker of The Tiger questions if the God created the animal, for it is so unlike his previous creations (the Lamb). The tone towards the Tiger is negative and foreboding.