Discuss the use of imagery in William Blake's poems "The Lamb" and "The Tyger."

In The
Lamb, Blakes images are soft and light, suggesting innocence and purity. The speaker questions
who made the lamb and says that its creator gave it soft wool, clothing of delight. In
addition, the lambs voice is tender, which gives the valleys great happiness. The lamb travels
over meadows and next to streams of water, which are peaceful images. The speaker answers his
own question by telling the lamb that God has created it to be meek and mild just as he
(God) is. The soft and harmonious images throughout the poem leave the reader in a tranquil
state.

By contrast, in , Blakes images are harsh and fiery. The speaker
also questions who made the tiger but states that it was created in the harsh fire of a furnace.
The images of heat and burning run throughout the poem. The speaker tells the tiger that it was
created with hard tools, such as an anvil, hammer, and chain. It is easy to picture the tigers
eyes burning, since it was fashioned from fire, and its deadly nature, since it has fearful
symmetry. The speaker concludes that when the tiger was created, the stars waterd heaven with
their tears. Here, water creates a negative image, since it comes from tears, which speak of
sadness. The harshof the poem leaves the reader in a fearful state.