SH1701

A Poison Tree William Blake was born in London on

By 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 I watered it in fears,
Night & morning with my tears:
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
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 into my garden stole,
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see;
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
November 28, 1757, to James, a hosier, and
Catherine Blake. Two (2) of his six (6) siblings
died in infancy. From early childhood, Blake
spoke of having visions. At age four (4), he saw
God “put his head to the window”. Around age
nine (9), while walking through the
countryside, he saw a tree filled with angels.
Although his parents tried to discourage him
from “lying”, they did observe that he was
different from his peers and did not force him
to attend conventional school. He learned to
read and write at home. At age 10, Blake
wished to become a painter, so his parents sent
him to drawing school. Two (2) years later,
Blake began writing poetry. When he turned
14, he apprenticed with an engraver because art
school proved too costly. One (1) of Blake’s
assignments as an apprentice was to sketch the
tombs at Westminster Abbey, exposing him to
a variety of Gothic styles from which he would
draw inspiration throughout his career. After
his seven-year term ended, he studied briefly at
the Royal Academy.

Step 1: Know the author

Know the authors background including the period of existence, inspirations, other accomplishments,
and the approaches used in his/her works.

Step 2: Unlock the difficulty.

List down the words that you find difficult to understand. Look for the meaning in the dictionary then
reread the poem.

Step 3: Figure out the figurative language.

Identify the figurative language used in the poem. Interpret the meaning of the figurative language.

Step 4: Extract the theme.

List down the major and minor themes of the poem. Explain the theme which may be a word a phrase.

Step 5: Appreciate it!

Compare the poem to other literary works having the same theme. Relate it to real life situation.

Reference:
Blake, William (n.d.) A Poison Tree. Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175222 on March 9, 2017

08 Handout 1 *Property of STI

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 SH1701

08 Handout 1 *Property of STI

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