A Poison TreeWilliam Blake

Lines 1-2

I was angry with my friend:I told my wrath, my wrath did end.• As the poem opens, the speaker describes how

he was angry with his friend.• Still, he told his friend he was angry ("I told my

wrath"), and presumably why he was angry, and his anger disappeared. Happy days are here again!

Lines 3-4I was angry with my foe:I told it not, my wrath did grow.• The speaker describes a different scenario, now.

He was once angry with his "foe" (a.k.a. his enemy), but didn't tell him about it.

• Since the speaker did not talk about his anger ("I told it not"), his anger got bigger and bigger ("my wrath did grow").

Lines 5-8And I watered it in fears,Night and morning with my tears;And I sunned it with smiles,And with soft deceitful wiles.

• The speaker talks more about how his anger grows. Using figurative language, he treats this anger very much like a plant. A plant needs water and sun in order to grow, and so apparently does his anger.

• He watered it with his "fears" and his "tears" and made sure it got plenty of sunshine.

• He tricked his foe to bring him closer to him

• Outwardly, he smiled and was friendly to gain his trust

• ‘wiles’ – devious or cunning trick meant to trap or fool someone

• The speaker didn't give his anger-plant real sunshine. Instead, he gave it "smiles" and "deceitful wiles." These are more like "fake" sunshine.

• They help the plant to grow—like real sunshine would for a real plant.

• A wile is a "crafty, cunning, or deceitful trick." "Deceitful wiles," are super-deceitful tricks (or really, really cunning traps). The speaker suggests that he is a very deceptive person and that he is planning something very sinister and mischievous. Whatever it is, though, his anger seems to dig it, since those deceitful schemes are like sunshine to it. 

• A growing plant is usually a good, positive thing, a symbol of life. It seems ironic that a growing plant is being compared to a growing anger.

Lines 9-12And it grew both day and night,Till it bore an apple bright.And my foe beheld it shine.And he knew that it was mine,

• Because of the speaker's efforts, his plant (anger) eventually bears ("bore") fruit: an "apple bright.

• The enemy sees the fruit of the speaker's wrath, and somehow he's able to recognize that it belongs to the speaker.

Lines 13-16And into my garden stoleWhen the night had veiled the pole;In the morning glad I seeMy foe outstretched beneath the tree.

• Apparently, at some point in the dark night, the enemy eats the apple, which ends up killing him.

• He was happy that his foe was lying dead under the poison tree

Figurative Meaning of the Poem• Man is corrupted by evil feelings of anger, hatred

and malice.• If we can conquer these evil passions, we will be

happy• Do not nourish anger and hatred against friends and

foes

Figurative Meaning of the Poem• In friendship, when we have a misunderstanding, we

should be not let our anger grow. We should talk about our ill feelings and discuss why the misunderstanding happened.

• Forgive and forget – peace of mind

Figurative Meaning of the Poem• If we bottle up our anger, it grows into a ‘Poison

Tree’. • Harmful to us and those around us• The persona’s wrath kills his enemy just as he

desires.• But death only affects his foe physically. It does not

affect spiritually

Figurative Meaning of the Poem• The persona will be forever filled with guilt for

harbouring evil thoughts and committing the murderous act in his own garden

• When a person is nourished with evil thoughts and feelings from young, he will grow up to be violent and full of misdemeanours. (minor wrongdoing)

Symbolism

• A growing plant is a symbol of life• The persona’s growing anger is

compared to a growing plant.

Symbolism• Night is associated with evil• In this poem, the act of stealing is

committed at night when the persona’s foe steals his apple in his garden

SPM Practices:1. What is the poem mainly about? ___________________________________

2. How did the persona feed his anger? List 2 ways.

_________________________________________

SPM Practices3. How did the persona feel when he saw his enemy lying on the ground? State the evidence _______________________________________________4. And it grew both day and night What grew day and night and what exactly did it become? What does this tell you about the persona?

5. What is the difference between anger and wrath?____________________________________________________6. What do you think was the persona’s frame of mind when he watered his anger in fears?_______________________________________________________

7. The persona had allowed the anger to fester and grow within himself. If a friend is in such a situation, how would you advise him or her? Provide 2 suggestions:Advice 1 : _______________________Advice 2 : ________________________