A Poison Tree By William Blake

“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 I watered it in fears, Night and 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.

Sound Familiar?

Annotation You must not only read the poem, but you must understand it as well. One way to analyze a poem is to annotate or make notes. Be sure to consider: the literal meaning (paraphrase) diction, syntax, imagery, and figurative language

Metaphor A figurative comparison of two unlike objects WITHOUT using “like” or “as” Love is a battlefield She’s a brick house. Create ONE metaphor My example: My hate for him is a rapidly inflating balloon, growing and expanding to the point of explosion. MLK’s example: Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.

Poem Overview Discuss/share thoughts and annotations. To what is the narrator comparing his anger? Is this an effective comparison? Why or why not?

Modeling CAPE STAAR Open-Ended Response C – CIRCLE the key words in the question. A – ANSWER the question. P – Provide PROOF or textual evidence to support your answer. E – EXPLAIN how your proof or textual evidence supports your answer.

Short Answer #1 CIRCLE: How is the title, “A Poison Tree” appropriate for this poem? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the text.

Short Answer #1 ANSWER: The title, “A Poison Tree” is appropriate for this poem because it alludes to the metaphorical effect of the speaker’s unspoken anger.

Short Answer #1 PROVE The speaker in the poem compares his wrath to a tree that bears “an apple bright,” and when his foe eats the apple, he finds his “foe outstretched beneath the tree” (10, 16).

Short Answer #1 EXPLAIN Throughout the poem, the speaker talks about how he tends his metaphorical tree, and the conclusion of the poem shows that the fruit of that tree actually kills his enemy. The title effectively captures the primary metaphor of the poem in a more explicit way, which serves as an anchor for the poem’s figurative comparison.

How Is This Response Effective? Restates part of the question in the answer Uses evidence from the text, embedded effectively within the sentence The title, “A Poison Tree” is appropriate for this poem because it alludes to the metaphorical effect of the speaker’s unspoken anger. The speaker in the poem compares his wrath to a tree that bears “an apple bright,” and when his foe eats the apple, he finds his “foe outstretched beneath the tree” (10, 16). Throughout the poem, the speaker talks about how he tends his metaphorical tree, and the conclusion of the poem shows that the fruit of that tree actually kills his enemy. The title effectively captures the primary metaphor of the poem in a more explicit way, which serves as an anchor for the poem’s figurative comparison. Connects the evidence to the answer and concludes the response

Notes on Embedded Quotation Pick the most relevant parts of the text to incorporate into your answer. Provide the context for the textual evidence with your own words. Cite the line number in parentheses when quoting from poetry.

Notes on Embedded Quotation Use ellipsis (…) to remove words from the middle of a quote as long as the removed words do not impact the meaning of the quote. Example: The speaker’s anger “grew…Till it bore an apple bright” (9-10). Use brackets [ ] to change a pronoun or a verb tense to clarify meaning for your answer. Example: The speaker “watered [the tree] in fears” (5).

Notes on Embedded Quotation We will be practicing embedding quotation ALL YEAR…it may take a while to master this!

Independent Practice: Choose ONE In “The Poison Tree,” who is most affected by the speaker’s unspoken anger? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the text. In “The Poison Tree,” does the speaker regret his actions? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the text.

Share Your Response:

Closure A THEME is What do you think is the theme of this poem? a universal truth expressed in a piece of literature more complex than a one-word idea What do you think is the theme of this poem? Hint: If the topic is revenge, then what is Blake saying about revenge? THAT will lead you to theme.