Summary:
“A Poison Tree” is a metaphorical poem by William Blake, published in 1794 in Songs of Experience. The poem explores the dangerous consequences of suppressed anger and the difference between how we treat friends and enemies.
- The speaker contrasts two ways of handling anger:
- When he was angry with his friend, he expressed it, and the anger disappeared.
- When he was angry with his enemy, he hid his feelings, and the anger grew like a poisonous tree.
- The speaker nurtures his hatred with fear, deceit, and fake smiles, and it grows into a tree bearing a deadly apple.
- His enemy, tempted by the apple, eats it and dies, revealing the destructive power of hidden resentment.
The poem warns that unspoken anger can grow into something dangerous and suggests that repressed emotions can lead to destruction.
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| Question | Answer |
| Poem Name | A Poison Tree |
| Poet | William Blake |
| Year Published | 1794 |
| Poetry Collection | Songs of Experience |
| Main Themes | Suppressed Anger, Deception, Revenge, Consequences of Hatred |
| Famous Line | “And it grew both day and night, Till it bore an apple bright.” |
| Symbols | “Poison Tree” (Hatred), “Apple” (Temptation & Revenge), “Garden” (Biblical reference) |
| Literary Devices | Metaphor, Personification, Symbolism, Irony |