KU UG Sem1 Unit-III: A POISON TREE. -William Blake (Poem and Annotation)

Kakatiya University- UG English, Semester-I

 

Unit-III: Poem

 A POISON TREE.               -William Blake

I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told It not, my wrath did grow.	And 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.
And I watered it in fears. Night and morning with my tears: And I sunned it with smiles. And with soft deceitful wiles.	And into my garden stole. When the night had veild the pole; In the morning glad I see; My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

Model Annotation:

Reference

These lines are taken from the poem “A Poison Tree” written by William Blake this poem is from his collection of poems titled “Songs of Experience". This illustrates the darkness in all humans.

Context

This poem is about the anger management William Blake's warns us about the ill effects of holding anger inside oneself. The Apple plant is the metaphor for what happens when we hold anger in our mind and heart.

Meaning

The poet tells us that when he was angry with his friend he simply told his friend that he was angry, and put an end to his angriness. But when he was angry with his enemy, he didn't express that he was angry with him, so the anger grew. And there came a long gap between them.

The poet compares the anger to the poison tree. The speaker helps it to grow he watered it with fear and tears. He sunned it with false smiles and cunning actions. Finally, an apple sprouts from this poison tree of angry this bright Apple attracted the attention of the enemy.

The enemy thought that this Apple is his so he entered the speaker’s garden and ate the Apple. The speaker finds his enemy lying dead under the tree the next morning.