A Poison TreeBy 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 stoleWhen the night had veiled the pole;In the morning glad I seeMy 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 CAPESTAAR 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

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

2. 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

3. PROVEThe 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

4. EXPLAINThroughout 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?

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.

Restates part of the question in the

answer

Uses evidence from the

text, embedded effectively within the sentence

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 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.