The Tyger

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"The Tyger" was a poem by William Blake, first published in 1794.

After Tommy looked into the Metebelis crystal and realised he could now read much better, he went to get more books from the meditation centre's library. There he found a book of poetry which included "The Tyger", and proceeded to read the opening verse aloud:

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,

In the forests of the night;

What immortal hand or eye,

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

Tommy called the poem "pretty" before deciding "beautiful" was more suitable. (TV: Planet of the Spiders)

Mike Yates's father read the poem to him when he was a boy. (AUDIO: Time Tunnel)

Behind the scenes

• Tommy's recitation of "The Tyger" does not feature in the 105-minute compilation repeat of Planet of the Spiders, as broadcast Friday 27 December 1974.
• Frank Cottrell-Boyce's TV story In the Forest of the Night was named directly after this poem, with a minor modification made to the line, to allow for a singular "forest of the night". This story also contains an actual tiger.
• The publisher's summary for AUDIO: The Emerald Tiger also quotes this poem.
• Its real world author, William Blake, is not named on-screen, but he is featured in other stories set in the Doctor Who universe.

External links

• "The Tyger" by William Blake at Poetry Foundation (also includes audio reading by Michael Stuhlbarg)