The Tiger
During the time we were first dating, one of my school assignments was to memorize the poem about the tiger, written by William Blake.
"Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forest of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?"
I really liked this poem and talked about it with Marlin and worked on memorizing it while we were together. He enjoyed the poem, too, and changed the word symmetry to cemetery, because one evening as he was driving me home from our date, he pulled off the road by the Puckety U. P. Church, a half mile away from my home, and that's where we had our first kiss. The Puckety Church was one of those old country churches surrounded by the church cemetery.
We were so young! It was so amusing to say the poem, change the word to cemetery and think about our first kiss. A lovely secret, which I now share with all of you.
Submitted by
Lynne
at 12/31/2004 7:27:42 AM- What a lovely memory.
Submitted by
Leslie
at 12/31/2004 11:17:37 AM- Yes, thank you for sharing such a sweet, sentimental memory.
Submitted by
Mary lou
at 12/31/2004 12:16:01 PM- Good Morning NJ. Just stopping in to see how you are doing today. I have heard that poem all my life. THanks for sharing...
Submitted by
NJ
at 12/31/2004 12:35:40 PM- Even without the "symmetry" it's a special poem. It was new to me when I was in high school.
Submitted by
James
at 12/31/2004 9:06:32 PM- In our freshman college English class, the teacher had us read poetry aloud to the class. She had a kid who had a heavy New York accent (and an attitude about the class) read this poem.
"Tager, tager, burnin' bright
In da forest of da night,
Whad immordal hand 'r eye
Dare frame dye fearful symmetry?"
Now when I think of this poem, I think of his bored reading.
(You should have heard him read, "Liddle lamb, who made dee?")
Best regards,
J.W. Stoker
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My first kiss was also in a cemetery; I was sixteen and we married six years later. Thank you for sharing that lovely secret and bringing to mind a sweet memory.