Poem A Poison Tree (Form 5): Meaning

Stanza One
Line Line Interpretation
no.
1 The persona was angry with his friend.
I was angry with my friend:
2 When he told his friend about it, his
I told my wrath, my wrath did
anger disappeared.
end.
3 He was once angry with his enemy
I was angry with my foe:
4 But the persona did not talk about his
I told it not, my wrath did
anger, so his anger got bigger and
grow. bigger. (The feeling became worse).
Stanza Two
Line Line Interpretation
no.
1 The persona treated his anger very
And I watered it in fears,
much like a plant. (A plant needs water
and sun in order to grow). He developed
his anger more with his fears.
2 The anger got worse when he cried
Night and morning with my
almost night and day
tears;
3 The persona topped up his anger with
And I sunned it with smiles,
fake smiles (pretending to be happy in
front of his enemy)
4 And with soft deceitful wiles. And he added deceit and tricks, maybe
he was planning something
mischievous or bad.
So, the persona’s anger was growing
bigger and stronger (just like a growing
tree).
Stanza Three
Line Line Interpretation
no.
1 Because of the persona's efforts, his
And it grew both day and
“tree of anger” eventually bore a bright
night, and delicious apple.
2 Till it bore an apple bright.
3 His enemy saw the shiny apple (the fruit
And my foe beheld it shine.
of the persona’s anger)
4 And knew that the apple tree belonged
And he knew that it was
to the persona.
mine.
 Stanza Four
Line Line Interpretation
no.
1 The enemy secretly sneaked into the
And into my garden stole
persona’s garden, like a thief.
2 He went into the garden at night when it
When the night had veiled
was extremely dark to steal/eat the
the pole; apple
("the pole” possibly refers to the pole
star, also known as the North star or
Polaris. It is a very bright star and it
stays fixed in the sky, which is normally
used in navigating folks safely through
danger.)
But this star was not visible.
3 In the morning, the persona sees
In the morning glad I see
(maybe with a happy feeling)
4 His enemy is lying under the tree
My foe outstretched beneath
(dead/unconscious after eating the
the tree. poison apple – the fruit that was
poisoned with the persona’s anger).

.
THEMES

Managing Anger

It is not totally wrong to be angry. However, it is rather important for us to know how to deal
with anger. If we nurture our anger, it might grow and be harmful to us. In this poem, two
ways of handling anger were shown with different outcomes. In the first scenario, the anger
disappeared but in the second the anger grew into something aggressive and negative.
Importance of Communication

As shown in the poem, if the persona had communicated with his enemy, his anger would
have been controlled. However, his refusal to communicate has allowed anger to become
something that is very destructive. Therefore, it is often better if we can communicate with
people on the issues that is bugging us. The poet indirectly is trying to persuade his readers
to talk about their anger. We can talk about it not only with our friends but with our enemies
too. If we talk, the anger might just reduce and it might just ease our troubles. In turn, it will
prevent us from causing hurt unto others.

 Moral Values

1.    The importance of communicating when there is a misunderstanding- When there is a

misunderstanding, we should talk about it to resolve our differences.

2.    Harbouring ill feelings against someone- We shouldn't harbour ill feelings against
anyone.

3.    Forgiving and forgetting- When there is a misunderstanding, we must forgive and forget.

4.    Bottling up ill feelings- Bottling up ill feelings is bad for us and those around us. Keep
your emotion in check.
Poem A Poison Tree (Form 5): HOTS Questions + Answers
 Poem A Poison Tree: HOTs Questions + Answers

1.    What does the persona do with his/her anger of the enemy?

The persona just keeps it inside and lets it get worse.

2. “I told it not, my wrath did grow.”

     Unstable emotion should never be kept inside. How can you release it? Provide a reason for your
answer.

     Method: Talk to the people involved

     Reason: Talking can resolve the problem.

3.    What would you do if you had a misunderstanding with your foe?

I would talk to him/her to find out the root of the matter.

4.    Why do you think the persona did not tell his foe about his wrath?

He found it difficult to talk about the matter.

5.    What two things can you learn from this poem?

 Hatred breeds hatred/We should not suppress our anger./ We should talk about our anger or our
feelings./We should forgive and forget.

6. “Till it bore an apple bright”

Do you think revenge solves problems? Give a reason for your answer.

Opinion: No. It is pointless.

Reason: revenge does not solve any problem, it just makes it worse.

7.    How does the persona feel about his/her foe lying under the tree in the morning. Give a reason for
your answer.

He felt satisfied/happy because his/her enemy is dead/ something terrible happened to his/her
enemy. / His/her enemy is defeated.

8. ‘I was angry with my friend.’

     How would you avoid getting angry with a friend? State a good effect of your action.

Method: I would not listen to rumours so easily.

Reason: Because rumours can be wrong and can bring bad consequences. /Because rumours can
destroy friendship.

9. ‘I was angry with my foe’

State one bad effect of anger and suggest a solution to manage anger.

Effect: Anger can make you lose your judgement.

Solution: Make sure you get the right facts about an issue before you get angry.

10. What is the poem about?

The poem is about the bad effects of holding one’s anger./ It is about anger management.

11. What lessons have you learnt from the poem? State two.

a.        Communication is important to avoid misunderstanding.

b.       We must also learn to forgive and forget.

12. Why does the foe want the apple?

It belonged to someone else and it was tempting.

………………………………………………………………………………………..
1.    In stanza 1, what happens to an anger that is not settled?

It grows. / It becomes bigger than it actually is.

2.    What does the word “deceitful” mean?

Lies

3.    In stanza 2, which phrase suggests that the persona pretended and used tricks?

“Soft deceitful wiles”

4.    In stanza 3, which phrase tells you that the persona kept his anger all the time?

“grew both day and night”

5.    What does the tree symbolise?

It symbolises growing anger.

What emotion is expressed in Stanza 1?

Anger

-Which word in stanza 2 that has the same meaning as “dishonest”?

Deceitful

-What happened to the persona’s foe eventually and how did the persona react to this?
The persona’s foe eventually died. He was glad to see his foe    outstretched beneath the tree

-What would you do if you had a misunderstanding with your enemy? Suggest 2 ways.
Talk to my enemy and solve the problem
ignore my enemy
………………………………………………………………………………………

-In stanza 1, what happened to the persona when he did not express his anger?
His anger intensified / grew.

-In stanza 3, what did the apple refer to?

The apple referred to the persona’s anger / hatred.

-In stanza 4, why did the persona feel happy?

He felt happy because his foe fell into his trap.

He felt happy because his foe died under the tree.

-In this poem, the persona was angry with his foe. If you were the persona’s friend, what advice
would you give to him?
Advice 1. I would advise my friend to speak honestly to his foe so they could clear the
misunderstanding between them
Advice 2:  I would advise my friend to forgive his foe because being angry would only hurt him and
his foe

…………………………………………………………….

-What did the persona do when he was angry with his friend?
He told him his wrath and the wrath were gone.

-In stanza 2, how did the persona allow his anger to grow?
He watered it in fears and tears and sunned it with smiles and deceitful wiles

-In stanza 3, what does the word it refers to?

The persona’s anger / the poison tree / the tree

-If you were the persona, would you have been glad to see your “foe outstretched beneath the
tree”? Give a reason to support your answer.
Yes, because he had done something bad to me. OR

No, because we could have forgiven each other’s mistake.

………………………………………………………………………………………

-In stanza 1, who is the persona angry with?

His friend/ his enemy/ his foe (ONLY ONE ANSWER)

-Which word in stanza 1 shows the persona is similar to an apple tree?

Grow

-In stanza 2, what does the word ‘it’ refer to?

The wrath

-How would you feel if you had a misunderstanding with your friend? Explain.
Feelings: upset/sad/ unhappy    [ 1 mark]

Explanation:  I have no one to talk to.

………………………………………………………………………………………

-Which phrase is stanza 1 has the same meaning as ‘kept his anger to himself’
I told it not

-What did the persona do to ensure that the tree grew healthily?
CHOOSE ONE:

He watered it with tears / He sunned it with smiles/ He sunned it with soft deceitful wiles
 - ‘In the morning glad I see
-My foe outstretched beneath the tree’
-In your opinion, how did the persona feel that morning?
The persona felt happy/ excited/ glad/ contented
-Do you agree with the persona’s feeling? Give a reason for your answer.
No, because it is wrong to kill someone. /
Yes, because the persona felt contented.
What Has Happened to Lulu? by Charles Causley
Poem
Stanza 1
What has happened to Lulu, mother? (line 1)
What has happened to Lu? (line 2)
There's nothing in her bed but an old rag-doll (line 3)
And by its side a shoe. (line 4)
Stanza 2
Why is her window wide, mother, (line 1)
The curtain flapping free, (line 2)
And only a circle on the dusty shelf (line 3)
Where her money-box used to be? (line 4)
Stanza 3
Why do you turn your head, mother, (line 1)
And why do the tear-drops fall? (line 2)
And why do you crumple that note on the fire (line 3)
And say it is nothing at all? (line 4)
Stanza 4
I woke to voices late last night, (line 1)
I heard an engine roar. (line 2)
Why do you tell me the things I heard (line 3)
Line by line Meaning
Stanza 1- 
The persona, a young boy is asking his mother
where his sister, Lulu is. He says there is nothing
on her bed except an old rag-doll and a shoe by
its side.
Stanza 2- 
The persona is asking his mother why Lulu's
window is open and her money-box is missing.
Stanza 3- 
The persona asks his mother why she is turning
her head away and crying. He asks her again
why she crumples and throws the note into the
fire and tells him that nothing is wrong.
Stanza 4- 
The persona wants to know why his mother is
saying that the voices and the roar of an engine
he heard are just a dream. The roar of an engine
Were a dream and nothing more? (line 4) implies that his sister, Lulu was driven away in a
car.

Stanza 5 Stanza 5- 

I heard somebody cry, mother, (line 1) The persona heard somebody cry in pain or
In anger or in pain, (line 2) anger but his mother tells him that it must have
But now I ask you why, mother, (line 3) been the wind.
You say it was a gust of rain. (line 4)

Stanza 6 Stanza 6- 

Why do you wander about as though (line 1) The persona wants his mother to explain why she
You don't know what to do? (line 2) is confused and what has happened to his older
What has happened to Lulu, mother? (line 3) sister, Lulu.
What has happened to Lulu? (line 4)

Summary of the Poem

In this poem, the persona is the poet himself as a young boy. He tells us that his older sister, Lulu is
missing. Actually, she has run away, but when he asks his mother, she doesn't tell him what has
happened. He sees Lulu's old rag-doll on her bed and a shoe by its side. Her window is open and her
money-box is gone. When he asks his mother why she is crying and burning a note, she says that is
nothing. He is puzzled and asks her innocently what has happened to Lulu, but she is silent. Then he
tells her that he heard voices and a car late at night, but she says that he must have been dreaming.
Next, he says that he heard somebody crying in anger or in pain, but she explains that it must have
been the rain. He is confused. He notices that she is confused too and wants to know what has
happened to his sister, Lulu.

Setting
 Place- persona's house 
 Time- late at night

Tone

Puzzlement and Confusion:

The boy doesn't understand what is going on.   He is confused about his mother's reaction towards
the loss of her child. The persona explains what he saw in Lulu's room and he sees his mother crying,
but she says nothing was wrong (Stanza 3). He knows something has happened to his sister, so he
tells her that he heard voices and a car in the middle of the night. But she dismisses whatever he has
heard as merely a dream. In Stanza 4, his mother is crying and grieving. She is confused  too
and doesn't know what to do  now that she has lost her child, Lulu.

Themes and Moral Values

1. Running away from home- Running away from home doesn't solve our problems.
2. Importance of close family ties- We must have a close relationship with our family
members to discuss our problems easily.
3. Coping with the loss of family member- The loss of a family member affects
everyone in the family.
4. Love for our family members- We must love our family members.

Word vs Meaning

 wide- fully open
 flapping- making something move from side to side or up and down often making a noise
 crumple- crush something into folds 
 note- a short informal letter
 voices- sounds made through the mouth when speaking
 roar- make a very loud, deep sound
 gust- a sudden strong increase in the amount and speed
 wander- walk slowly around without any sense of purpose or direction

Poem What Has Happened to Lulu? (Form 5): Practice on each stanza
Poem What Has Happened to Lulu? (Form 5): (HOTS Questions)
+ Answers
-In stanza 2,
-(i) What does the line “the curtain flapping free” indicates?
It was windy and the window is opened

-(ii) What did Lulu take with her?

Her money-box

-In stanza 3, why do you think the persona’s mother crumples the note?
She was angry with what written in the note/ She did not want to know what was
written in the note

- ‘I woke up to voices late last night’. What does the line refer to?
The voices belong to Lulu and mother/ Lulu and her friend/ Lulu’s mother and
friend/ Lulu and her kidnapper/ Lulu’s mother and the kidnapper.

-In your opinion, why do you think teenagers run away? Give two
reasons.
They are influenced by the wrong company of friends/
They want to get away from overprotective parents/
They want to be free/
Peer pressure/
Parental neglect/
Personal problems/
Teen pregnancy/
Drug addiction/
Abused by parents or siblings

-Who is the persona?

Lulu’s sibling/ Lulu’s brother/ Lulu’s sister

-Which line in stanza 3, suggest the mother is crying?

And why do the tear-drops fall

-Why was the mother crying?

She was upset with Lulu’s reaction

-In stanza 3, why do you think the mother says “It is nothing at all?”
the mother does not want the persona to know what was written in that note / the
mother does not want the persona to know that she is worried

-In your opinion, what do you think had happened to Lulu?

She ran away/ she was kidnapped