Woods, cont.

Paul T. writes from Canada:

The lack of a rhyme in the third and fourth line of the Lucianne commenter’s William Blake take-off on Tiger Woods bothers me, so how about:

Tiger! Tiger! Taking flight
Through the forests of the night
Was it her nails thy spouse let fly
And scratched thee in thy wand’ring Eye?

or

Tiger! Tiger! Didst thou flee
Frantic in thy SUV?
Didst thy Spouse thine Iron apply
To thy too-philand’ring Eye?

* * *

LA writes:

When I saw Paul use the word “iron” in his second take-off, I had the thought that “iron” was in the Blake poem, but it’s not. Here’s the verse I was thinking of. It relates to iron but doesn’t use the word:

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

Here’ the entire William Blake poem:

THE TYGER (from Songs Of Experience)

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 sieze the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art.
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & 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?

1794

Posted by Lawrence Auster at November 29, 2009 01:51 PM | Send