A Poison Tree

BY  WI LL IA M BL AKE
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.

Read the poem “A Poison Tree” and answer the following questions.

1) The persona is angry with his enemy but stays silent. Which line in the
poem shows the result of this action?

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2) What do you think the apple represents?

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3) Which word in the poem means “to move quietly without being notices”?

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4) In stanza 1, which word in the poem means “terrible anger”?

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5) In stanza 2, how did the persona tend to his plant?

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6) Identify a phrase in the poem which effectively describes the silent, cunning
scheming of the persona.

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7) In your opinion, who is the real victim in this poem – the persona or the
foe? Give a reason for your answer

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8) The persona in the poem is angry with a friend. If you were the persona’s
friend, what advice would you give him or her?

Advice 1:______________________________________________________________________

Advice 2:______________________________________________________________________

Questions according to stanzas

STANZA 1
1. What did the persona do when he was angry with his friend?

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2. What happened when the persona was angry with his foe?

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3. In your own words, describe “my wrath did grow” about the persona?

STANZA 2
1. Name four things the persona did to make his anger grow.

(i) ___________________________________________________
(ii) ___________________________________________________
(iii) ___________________________________________________

(iv) ___________________________________________________

2. What did the persona do to pretend that he was not angry?

3. Which phrase suggests that the persona had planned a devious strategy?

STANZA 3
1. What does “it” refer to?

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2. Which line suggests that “the tree” is growing very well?

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3. Which line tells us that the persona’s enemy noticed the apple?

STANZA 4
1. What does “And into my garden stole” tell us about the enemy?

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2. In your own words, describe the night.

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3. What may have happened to the enemy in the end?

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