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(Tiger Tiger by Wm.Blake) -- [Authentic] pronunciation (recording) -- EYE-Symmetry Rhyme

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HenHanna

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Feb 18, 2024, 5:14:14 PMFeb 18
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(The Tyger by William Blake) -- Could someone point me towards an
[Authentic] pronunciation version (recording, commentary) which makes
EYE rhyme with Symmetry?



https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43687/the-tyger

The Tyger by William Blake | Poetry Foundation

( Launch Audio in a New Window )

BY WILLIAM BLAKE

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;

What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

HenHanna

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Feb 20, 2024, 10:26:05 PMFeb 20
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Was the last vowel in Symmetry... fully like EYE, RYE ?
or more like (today's) RAY ?

Madhu

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Feb 20, 2024, 11:15:31 PMFeb 20
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* (HenHanna) <8d29ce3e08100480d5978e52d9c14785 @www.novabbs.com> :
Wrote on Wed, 21 Feb 2024 03:24:56 +0000:
This line was used to introduce two concepts - that of "poetic license"
and "the rhetorical question" to us kids in 7th or 8th grade, [taught
out of "Panorama a Selection of Poems,Sselected by J.W.Peterson, A.E.T
Barrow, and J.Futse, (eds), Oxford University Press]

I'm not sure if "poetic license" is the right term, I understand it goes
the other way: to change the grammar to fit the rythym or rhyme, in this
example the rhyme is broken

But if the intent is to create an effect on the reader or listener (a
jar, expecting something to rhyme with eye AI (FIVE) but hearing I (SIT)
-- I think it is equally served by pronouncing symmetry to rhyme with
the AI (FIVE) vowel, which is how I would declaim it)

Janet

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Feb 21, 2024, 7:58:55 AMFeb 21
to
In article <m37ciym...@leonis4.robolove.meer.net>,
eno...@meer.net says...
>
> * (HenHanna) <8d29ce3e08100480d5978e52d9c14785 @www.novabbs.com> :
> Wrote on Wed, 21 Feb 2024 03:24:56 +0000:
> > HenHanna wrote:
> >> (The Tyger by William Blake) -- Could someone point me towards an
> >> [Authentic] pronunciation version (recording, commentary) which
> >> makes EYE rhyme with Symmetry?
> >> https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43687/the-tyger
> >
> >> The Tyger by William Blake | Poetry Foundation (
> >> Launch Audio in a New Window ) BY WILLIAM BLAKE
> >
> >> Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What
> >> immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
> >
> > Was the last vowel in Symmetry... fully like EYE, RYE ?
> > or more like (today's) RAY ?
>
> This line was used to introduce two concepts - that of "poetic license"
> and "the rhetorical question" to us kids in 7th or 8th grade, [taught
> out of "Panorama a Selection of Poems,Sselected by J.W.Peterson, A.E.T
> Barrow, and J.Futse, (eds), Oxford University Press]

Your teacher could have mentioned eye-rhymes, (aka
"sight-rhymes")an English language device Blake would have
known well from Shakespeare and others; and expect his
educated audience to recognise. Even dead poets enjoyed a
joke/double entendre based on the
variability/inconsistency of our language.

https://www.tckpublishing.com/eye-rhyme/

This particular instance by Blake in Tyger, is clearly
giving the reader a knowing wink and heavy nudge,

"Here's an awful (fearful) example of eye/ear symmetry,
it's as old as the hills (immortal), so I know you'll get
it".


Shakespeare also used words/eye rhymes knowing perfectly
well some audience/readers would see/hear/interpret an
alternative pronunciation (or meaning).. a trick learned
from Chaucer. Still in use today in songs, theatre and TV
sitcoms.

Janet
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