What is the central theme of the poem?

The correct answer is Option (3) → the mystery of a creator who could make so fearful a creature

Almost every line of the poem is a question about the tiger’s maker.

• The speaker asks what “immortal hand or eye” could “frame” the tiger. Immortal means one who never dies, like God. To frame means to make or shape.
• Near the end he asks, “Did he who made the Lamb make thee?” The lamb is gentle and the tiger is fierce. The speaker cannot understand how one maker made both.
• This puzzle about the creator runs through the whole poem.

Why the Other Options are Incorrect?

Option 1: the fear of wild animals in the forest — Incorrect. Wrong focus: the tiger is called “fearful”. But the speaker’s questions are about who made it, not about being afraid of animals.

Option 2: the beauty of the forest at night — Incorrect. Misread: “the forests of the night” only tells us where the tiger is seen. The poem does not describe the forest at all.

Option 4: the cruelty of hunters towards tigers — Incorrect. Not mentioned: there are no hunters in the poem. The only person spoken of is the tiger’s maker.