From whence came Her Fearful Symmetry

THE TYGER

by William Blake

TYGER, tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And, when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? What the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tyger, tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

I love both of Audrey Niffinegger's novels, and am in awe of her ability to weave such gorgeous and unique stories. I'm always curious as to what inspires her tales. What, possibly simple, thought blossoms into an entire novel that grips the hearts of its readers from the first chapter? According to an interview my Mom heard, Blake's poem The Tyger inspired Her Fearful Symmetry. A poem whose theme revolves around what it means to live in a world with an undeniable existence of evil and violence, and how a being can be both beautiful and horrible all at once. For those of you who've read Her Fearful Symmetry, I'm sure you'll be able to see the connections, and know which character(s) possess this fearful symmetry.