William Blake’s poem “A Poison Tree” consists of four stanzas with a rhyme scheme of aa-bb-cc-dd-ee-ff-gg-hh. The poet explores the detrimental consequences of unaddressed anger. Through the use of an extended metaphor, Blake effectively illustrates the idea that if anger is left to brew and intensify, it can lead to regrettable behaviors. Furthermore, Blake incorporates allusions and tone to enhance the communication of this underlying message.
An extended metaphor is a literary device that compares two unlike things at length. In the poem “A Poison Tree”, the poet compares the growth of an apple tree to the growth of anger. As the speaker’s anger intensifies, it transforms into a smoldering force that could potentially consume the speaker. The second stanza of the poem illustrates this growth, stating “And I water it with my fears, Night and morning with my tear; And I sunned it with my smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles.” (lines 5-8). These actions symbolize the various elements that contribute to the development of the figurative tree, which represents the speaker’s anger. Similar to a tree, the speaker’s wrath is nourished by fears and tears, and it is influenced by deceptive smiles. Additionally, the speaker’s frustration becomes an “apple” or a nearly tangible object that the foe deliberately takes from the speaker’s “garden”. In reality, this signifies that the foe intentionally provokes the speaker. Overall, the extended metaphor in “A Poison Tree” effectively connects a tree with anger.
Poets incorporate allusions to reference well-known literary works or famous individuals. In “A Poison Tree,” Blake makes a reference to the story of Adam and Eve from the book of Genesis. He does this to depict the sins of anger and temptation. In stanza four, lines 13-16 state, “And into my garden stole when the night veiled a pole: and in the morning glad I see My foe outstretched beneath the tree.” This is similar to the story when Eve sneaked into the Garden of Eden and consumed the forbidden apple, as the foe also sneaked into the speaker’s emotions, provoking him to kill the foe. The sin of temptation is exhibited when the foe is enticed to steal the “apple.” The speaker purposely sets him up because he desires a justification for killing him. Throughout the entire poem, the sin of anger is portrayed as the narrator’s frustration morphs into wrath and hatred. Blake skillfully employs this biblical allusion to establish a backdrop for this poem.
Understanding a poem necessitates the recognition of its tone, which corresponds to the writer’s attitude towards a subject and reflects their feelings. The tone/message conveyed in “A Poison Tree” is that humans often allow anger to consume their lives and influence their actions. In the first stanza, specifically lines 1-4, the poem reveals, “I was angry with my friend, I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told my wrath, my wrath did grow.” These lines emphasize the idea that anger can escalate if left unaddressed and highlight the importance of discussing conflicts with those responsible instead of allowing them to worsen gradually. The rhyme scheme employed in the poem enhances the theme by adding a lighter tone that may come across as sarcastic or humorous. Consequently, “A Poison Tree” exhibits a genuine problem commonly encountered by thousands: the choice between exacerbating anger or suppressing it before it becomes a threat.
In considering the importance of a text’s title, it can provide a key to understanding the theme or message of a poem. This is applicable to Blake’s poem titled “A Poison Tree” as it suggests that the poem will have negative qualities and may convey some malignancy.
