What are the literal and figurative meanings of the poem "The Tyger"?Please explain thoroughly.

William Blake, in the poem "The Tyger", uses both literal
and figurative meanings to define the message he wishes to give to
readers.

Literal meanings are very hard. Many times one
might think that a poem has a definitive literal meaning that all readers can conclude.
This is not the fact. Given that most poetry is subjective, any reader of the poem could
come up with a meaning that they believe to be literal. All that is needed to support an
interpretation of a poem is support regarding the
meaning.

This being said, the literal meaning of the poem,
for me, is heavily embedded within the figurative meaning of the poem given the two
blend together: the literal meaning is defined by the figurative
meaning.

Therefore, the meaning of the poem lies in the
fact Blake is questioning the creation of the tiger based solely upon the fact that he
finds it hard to believe that the same hand (God's hand) created the lamb. What the poem
does is set up the paradox for readers: can evil (as depicted by the references to
"fire" and "dread") come from good?

What the poem does is
allow mankind to question the relation between good and evil. Is all that is created
from good 'good'? Or, can something created from good inherently be evil? This is the
question Blake wishes to leave his readers with.

This being
said, allow at alternative interpretation: God granted free will as seen in the garden
of Eden and Eve's taking from the Tree of Knowledge. Free will allows people, and
animals, to choose their destiny through this free will. So, does an animal function in
the same way as man in regards to how it lives its life? Or, is the tiger simply
misunderstood given the stereotype placed upon the creature by
man?