February 5, 2011. An English teacher, Chris Pearce, posts on his blog this observation: “Great poems should paint pictures in the mind.” [1] It is taken from the introduction of the innovative graphic novel by Dave Morice, Poetry Comics: A Cartooniverse of Poem (1980). This passing remark, made to Morice by a friend, stimulated his creative appetite and inspired his unique work. The resulting anthology is comprised of a selection of celebrated verses, which Morice cleverly transforms into comics. Some of the poems consist of a single panel, while others span multiple pages. What Morice dubs a “diabolical plot to overthrow the Foundations of Poetry,” is an inventively presented compilation of classic poems.
It seems only fitting that in this creation, Morice includes a poem on the topic of creation. Arguably William Blake’s most famous poem, “The Tiger” explores a malicious side of creation. In the opening stanza, Blake questions what God would bring cruelty and fear into the world:
Tiger Tiger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
It is apparent from the last two lines that Blake is calling into question the judgment and even existence of the divine. Moreover, it is said that God created Man in his own image. What then is Blake implying about God? That he is vicious, like the tiger.
Morice’s presentation of “The Tiger” depicts a different type of creation, not biblical, but scientific. In it, the creator of this tiger is none other than the maddest off all scientists, the infamous Dr. Frankenstein. He speaks the line “Tiger! Tiger! Burning bright,” to himself as he attempts to give his creation life, deep in the laboratory in the bowels of his isolated mansion. The motion lines in the frame demonstrate how Frankenstein is positively quivering with anticipation. He is excited, not vindictive (although nonetheless insane). The final lines of the poem are the fearful words of a victim of the tiger’s rage. This poor villager cries out, “What immortal hand or eye, dare frame thy fearful symmetry?” The tiger’s face is finally revealed in this panel, as he punches his way out of the frame, bearing his terrible teeth. Morice shows the destructive nature of tiger as he depicts the tiger’s attempt to break from the page that binds him and into the third dimension.
The last page of Morice's "The Tiger"
Who is the mad scientist in the pictures? Perhaps it is Morice’s own atheistic reaction to the religion so prevalent in Blake’s work. However, as Blake is the official creator of the poem “The Tiger,” might it be that the cackling chemist represents Blake himself? By penning the poem, Blake is the true creator of the tiger. Equating Blake with Frankenstein is Morice’s method of acknowledging his brilliance while commenting on the savage nature of his product. Blake’s creation is jarring and malevolent but ultimately captivating. Similarly, Frankenstein’s monster continues to enthrall and frighten readers and audiences today. Morice’s portrayal of Blake as a mad scientist maintains this fascinating affect and it is downright diabolical.
First off, I love the idea of converting poems into graphic comics. Of course, you’re going to lose some stuff: some of the rhythm, the arrangement of the words on the page, etc. But you gain, like the blogger said, vivid “pictures in the mind.” The reader is going to conjure up her own pictures no matter what, but it’s cool to see what some interpreter (the graphic artist) comes up with.
This illustration of Blake’s “The Tyger” introduces a mad scientist metaphor that has interesting implications for Blake’s original purposes. As Katherine points out, it could make a connection between God and the mad scientist, which would confirm Blake’s anti-religion or at least anti-organized-religion views. But perhaps more interestingly, Blake himself could be the mad scientist. Indeed, I think one of the things that made Blake characteristic as an artist was that he was more daring, creative, and even crazy than his predecessors. (After him came the Romantics, who actually prided themselves on being daring, creative, and crazy.) His literary creations were stranger. His drawings were weirder. His beliefs were more eccentric. It’s no wonder then that his legacy seems to “jump off the page.”
I think this comic is super cool. One of the most interesting things to me was how the illustrator did not take what Blake said literally. What I mean is that for the Illustration of “In The Forest Of The Night” there is not even one tree in the little drawing. Instead there is a tiny little castle. And the part where the ‘creator’ just has an on and off switch makes me think that the illustrator kept this as simple as possible – almost in contrast to how complicated and interconnected Blake’s poetry is.
Liked the comic a lot. Sometimes with pieces like this, I wonder if we’re reading more into it than the author intended. You can argue for days about the importance of authorial intent, but in this case, I sort of just think the author was trying to make a funny piece. He thought something like “wow, I wonder what would happen if Blake was writing about a mad scientist instead of God,” and then drew it. Maybe some ideas of God being like a mad scientist thrown in. Either way, he subverts the idea of The Tyger in a way that I liked a lot.
Katherine,
What an interesting text to stumble upon! I’d love to see it, if you have a copy you could lend me.
Right now, it’s hard for me to decide what Morice’s intent might be. Your idea that he’s making a connection between Blake and Frankenstein as creators/scientists is intriguing, but I also wonder, along with Katherine Z, if he isn’t suggesting that God is a kind of Tyger? (Sort of an angry, Jehovah-like god.) But it’s hard to tell without seeing more of the work.
Perhaps you could offer some more context for your reading in a revision? Interesting stuff!
~jh