 DO YOU EXPRESS YOUR ANGER

AND HATRED FOR A PERSON

OPENLY OR YOU KEEP THAT IN
YOUR HEART?
 ABOUT THE POET

 WILLIAM BLAKE WAS BORN

IN 1757 AND DIED IN 1827.
 HE WAS AN ARTIST IN
ADDITION TO BEING A
POET.
 HIS FAMOUS WORKS
INCLUDE SONGS OF
INNOCENCE,1789; AND
SONGS OF
EXPERIENCE,1794.
 CENTRAL IDEA
IF ANGER IS SUPPRESSED AND KEPT FOR A LONG TIME, IT
GIVES BIRTH TO A POISONOUS TREE.A SEED OF ANGER IS
NOURISHED BY THE ENERGY OF A PERSON’S WRATH AND IT
GROWS INTO A MIGHTY AND DESTRUCTIVE FORCE.HATRED
IS NOT A PASSION TO BE DESIRED BY ANY ONE. HATRED
BREEDS HATRED IN TURN AS KINDNESS GIVES BIRTH TO
KINDNESS, THE POET’S ENEMY WAS VICTIM OF HATRED.
POISON TREE IS USED AS A METAPHOR FOR WRATH.
 HIDDEN MESSAGE

WILLIAM BLAKE IN HIS POEM AIMS AT GIVING THE

MESSAGE OF SELFLESS LOVE AND UNIVERSAL
BROTHERHOOD OF MANKIND. ACCORDING TO HIM,
LIFE MUST BE GUIDED BY VISION INSTEAD OF
REASON. THE POET ADVISES THE READER NOT TO
NOURISH THE ANGER AND HATRED AGAINST OUR
FRIENDS AND FOES. HE PREACHES LOVE AGAINST
HATRED, TRUST AGAINST MISUNDERSTANDING.
 A POISON TREE
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 veild the pole;
In the morning glad I see;
My foe outstretchd beneath the tree.
 STANZA 1
 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.
 STANZ A 1
MEANINGS OF NEW WORDS
 ANGRY
SHOWING ANGER
 WRATH
ANGER
 FOE
ENEMY / OPPONENT
 CRITICAL APPRECIATION
 RHYME SCHEME
aabb
 FIGURES OF SPEECH
ALLITERATION
ASSONANCE
 LANGUAGE
SIMPLE AND FAMILIAR
 TONE
ANGRY
 APPROACH
SUBJECTIVE
 COMPRHENSION

 WITH WHOM THE POET IS ANGRY IN

THE START OF THE POEM?
 WHAT HAPPENED WHEN HE TOLD HIS
WRATH TO HIS FRIEND?
 COMPRHENSION
 DID THE SPEAKER TELL HIS FOE HIS
ANGER?
 WHAT WAS THE RESULT OF
SUPPRESSION OF HIS ANGER?
 STANZA 2
 And I watered it in fears, 
Night & morning with my tears: 
And I sunned it with smiles, 
And with soft deceitful wiles.
 STANZ A 2
MEANINGS OF NEW WORDS
 WATERED
TO SUPPLY WATER TO
 DECEITFUL
DECEPTIVE / MISLEADING
 SUNNED
TO EXPOSE TO THE RAYS OF SUN
 WILES
PLAYFUL TRICKS
 CRITICAL APPRECIATION
 RHYME SCHEME
aabb
 FIGURES OF SPEECH
ALLITERATION
ASSONANCE
METAPHOR
 LANGUAGE
SIMPLE AND FAMILIAR
 TONE
ANGRY
 APPROACH
SUBJECTIVE
 COMPRHENSION
 WHAT CONTRASTS HAS THE POET
USED?
 DOES THE POET WANT TO CONVEY
ANY MESSAGE TO US?
 WHY DID THE POET SUN HIS TREE OF
ANGER WITH SMILES?
 RECAPITULATION
 TODAY WE HAVE READ FIRST TWO STANZAS OF
THE POEM “A POISON TREE” , COMPOSED BY
WILLIAM BLAKE.
 THE POEM IS BUILT UP ON SEVERAL
CONTRASTS;FRIEND-FOE,LOVE-HATE,TRUST-
DECEIT.
 THE POET TALKS OF NOURISHMENT OF HATRED.
 POISON TREE IS USED AS A METAPHOR FOR
WRATH.
 LANGUAGE IS SIMPLE AND IMPRESSIVE AND IS
SUCCESSFUL TO CONVEY A PROFOUND MESSAGE.
 CONSOLIDATION
Q.1:WHAT IS THE HIDDEN MESSAGE OF THE POEM?
Q.2:WHAT ARE THE CONTRASTING ELEMENTS IN THE
FIRST TWO STANZAS?
Q.3:WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE KEEP GRUDGES
AGAINST OTHERS?
Q.4:CHOOSE THE CORRECT SPELLINGS:
a)APPRECIATION b)APRECIATION
c)APPRESIATION
Q.5:HERE “TREE” IS USED AS A METAPHOR FOR .
Q.6:THE POEM “A POISON TREE” HAS BEEN COMPOSED
BY:
a)WILLIAM WORDSWORTH b)WILLIAM BLAKE
c)WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
 HOME WORK
 WRITE THE ANSWERS OF THE
FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
Q.1:EXPLAIN THE FIRST STANZA OF THE
POEM WITH REFERENCE TO THE
CONTEXT?
Q.2:DESCRIBE YOUR OWN INCIDENT OF
INTENSE ANGER, ITS REASON, AND
HOW DID YOU OVERCOME IT?
 RELEVANT QUOTES
 “THE MOST ANTI-SOCIAL AND OBVIOUS
OF ALL PASSIONS “ENVY””.
 “A MAN WHO THINKS OF REVENGE
KEEPS HIS WOUNDS GREEN”.
 “LOOK LIKE AN INNOCENT FLOWER BUT
BE A SERPENT UNDER IT”
 CONCLUSION
 TODAY WE HAVE DISCUSSED FIRST TWO
STANZAS OF THE POEM “A POISON
TREE”AND TOMORROW WE’LL DO THE
NEXT TWO.
 REFERENCE WEB SITES
WWW.LITERATURE.COM
WWW.GOOGLE.COM
WWW.THE WILLIAM BLAKE.COM
WWW.POETS.ORG