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.
MCQs:
- Who wrote A Poison Tree?
A) William Wordsworth
B) William Blake
C) John Keats
D) Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Answer: B) William Blake - In which collection was A Poison Tree published?
A) Songs of Innocence
B) Songs of Experience
C) Lyrical Ballads
D) Leaves of Grass
Answer: B) Songs of Experience - What is the central theme of A Poison Tree?
A) The beauty of nature
B) The dangers of repressed anger
C) The power of love
D) The importance of friendship
Answer: B) The dangers of repressed anger
A Poison Tree - What happens when the speaker expresses his anger to a friend?
A) It grows stronger
B) It disappears
C) The friend betrays him
D) He becomes more upset
Answer: B) It disappears - What happens when the speaker hides his anger?
A) It fades away
B) It turns into joy
C) It grows into a poison tree
D) It makes him a better person
Answer: C) It grows into a poison tree - What does the apple symbolize in the poem?
A) Forbidden knowledge
B) Deception and revenge
C) Love and friendship
D) Wealth and success
Answer: B) Deception and revenge - What happens to the enemy in the poem?
A) He apologizes to the speaker
B) He eats the poisoned apple and dies
C) He becomes friends with the speaker
D) He destroys the tree
Answer: B) He eats the poisoned apple and dies - Which literary device is used in the phrase “And it grew both day and night”?
A) Simile
B) Personification
C) Hyperbole
D) Alliteration
Answer: B) Personification - What is the effect of the speaker’s “smiles” on his enemy?
A) It makes the enemy trust him
B) It confuses the enemy
C) It makes the enemy stronger
D) It scares the enemy away
Answer: A) It makes the enemy trust him - Which biblical story is referenced in the poem?
A) The story of Cain and Abel
B) Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
C) Noah’s Ark
D) The Ten Commandments
Answer: B) Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
| 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 |