# "Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright" - but how do you make it rhyme? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376 "2015-10-21T18:22:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/21 "2015-10-22T11:22:19Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Never trust a Rhymer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/22 "2015-10-22T13:56:00Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Never trust a Rhymer. Because you–ouch!–might get Skalded? ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/23 "2015-10-22T14:00:19Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > ^ Oh, dear, now I have to get into the fish tank and sing! Other than that, he’s perfectly normal. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/24 "2015-10-22T16:11:27Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Never trust a Rhymer. Unless his name is Thomas, for he’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/25 "2015-10-22T21:30:25Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > How did “eye” rhyme with “symmetry”? That rhymes in some contemporary UK accents eg Wolverhampton. Dunno about back in Blake’s day though. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/26 "2015-10-22T22:20:05Z")
Blake is actually the G-G-G-grandfather of Eric Cartman. You WILL respect my symme-TRY! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/27 "2015-10-23T02:22:51Z")
As Chaucer is, shall Dryden be. You ain’t helping. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/28 "2015-10-23T16:57:47Z")
Little known fact of history: Blake coined the word “ain’t,” then disavowed the action when he discovered it only rhymed with “faint” and “taint.” ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/29 "2015-10-23T17:41:13Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Little known fact of history: > > Blake coined the word “ain’t,” then disavowed the action when he discovered it only rhymed with “faint” and “taint.” Perhaps he wanted to paint a saint. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/30 "2015-10-23T17:52:43Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Little known fact of history: > > Blake coined the word “ain’t,” then disavowed the action when he discovered it only rhymed with “faint” and “taint.” > [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Perhaps he wanted to paint a saint. Perhaps that was just a feint? I hate to be the one to make this complaint but one should show some restraint when posting or at least acquaint themselves with the facts. But I guess I cannot constraint what other’s really want to post. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/31 "2015-10-23T18:07:53Z")
^ Quaint. (A certain plant will probably be reporting in soon, advising you all to “…not encourage the mutt.”) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/32 "2015-10-23T18:30:04Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > ^ Quaint. > (A certain plant will probably be reporting in soon, advising you all to “…not encourage the mutt.”) 😉 Thanks, I was trying to figure out how to work that one in, glad I was able to give you the perfect set-up. I thought you were calling me a mutt but then I realized we’re both mutts of a sort. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/33 "2015-10-23T18:54:23Z")
TIGER, tiger, burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame that symmetry of thine? TIGER, tiger, burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful form’s design? TIGER, tiger, burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could make a decent ham on rye? TIGER, tiger, burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Can do the job with Quick Reply? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/34 "2015-10-23T20:19:24Z")
The word eye was once pronounced as ee, thus making it a good rhyme for symmetry. I guess it would be old-fashioned even in Blake’s time, but a bit of poetic licence justifies it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/35 "2015-10-23T20:27:42Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > ^ Quaint. > (A certain plant will probably be reporting in soon, advising you all to “…not encourage the mutt.”) 😉 Do I _know_ you? ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376/36 "2015-10-23T22:18:26Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > The word eye was once pronounced as ee, thus making it a good rhyme for symmetry. > > I guess it would be old-fashioned even in Blake’s time, but a bit of poetic licence justifies it. I’m sorry that response was much too logical. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-tiger-burning-bright-but-how-do-you-make-it-rhyme/735376.md?page=1)