William Blake’s “A Poison Tree” is a powerful and unsettling poem. It explores the destructive nature of suppressed anger. Blake first published this piece in his 1794 collection, Songs of Experience. The collection contrasts the innocent perspective of childhood with the harsh realities of adult life. Consequently, “A Poison Tree” serves as a dark parable about how negative emotions can corrupt the human soul when they are not addressed openly. Source
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The Poem: A Poison Tree
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.
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And I water’d it in fears, Night & morning with my tears: And I sunned it with smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles.
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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.
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And into my garden stole, When the night had veil’d the pole; In the morning glad I see; My foe outstretchd beneath the tree.
Summary of the Narrative
The poem presents a straightforward story with a profound message. The speaker describes two different experiences with anger. First, he felt angry with a friend. He communicated his feelings, and the anger disappeared. This simple act resolved the conflict. However, the situation changes when he becomes angry with an enemy. In this case, the speaker suppresses his wrath. He refuses to voice his feelings, and as a result, the anger begins to grow.
This unexpressed anger transforms into a metaphorical tree. The speaker actively cultivates this tree. He waters it with his fears and tears. Furthermore, he gives it sunlight in the form of fake smiles and deceitful tricks. The tree thrives on this negative nourishment. Eventually, it produces a bright, tempting apple. The speaker’s foe sees the shiny apple and desires it. Knowing it belongs to the speaker, the foe sneaks into the garden at night to steal the fruit. The poem concludes the next morning. The speaker finds his enemy lying dead beneath the tree, a victim of the poisoned fruit. The speaker’s reaction is not remorse but gladness.
Stanza-by-Stanza Analysis
Breaking the poem down reveals how Blake builds his terrifying metaphor. Each stanza methodically develops the central idea of nurtured rage.
Stanza One: Friend vs. Foe
The opening stanza establishes a clear contrast. It sets up the poem’s core conflict. The speaker explains that when he was angry with a friend, he simply talked about it. This communication immediately ended his wrath. The resolution is quick and healthy. Conversely, when angry with a foe, he did the opposite. He kept his anger a secret. This act of suppression becomes the catalyst for the entire poem. The line “my wrath did grow” is simple yet ominous. It signals that this internal conflict will only escalate.
Stanza Two: The Elements of Deceit
The second stanza details how the speaker cultivates his growing anger. William Blake: Songs of Innocence and of… uses powerful metaphors related to gardening. The speaker “water’d” his wrath with his own fears and tears. This suggests a deep, personal, and emotional investment in his grudge. Moreover, he “sunned” it with smiles and “soft deceitful wiles.” This is a crucial detail. It shows the speaker’s hypocrisy. On the outside, he appears pleasant and friendly. On the inside, however, he is feeding a monstrous hatred. This duality highlights the corrupting influence of repressed emotions.
Stanza Three: The Poisoned Fruit
In the third stanza, the tree of wrath matures. It grows continuously until it bears “an apple bright.” This apple is a powerful symbol. It immediately brings to mind the biblical story of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. For instance, just like that fruit, this apple represents temptation, deceit, and a source of death. The foe sees the apple shine and recognizes it as the speaker’s property. This indicates the foe is aware of the tension between them. Yet, the allure of the fruit is too strong to resist, setting the stage for the tragic climax.
Stanza Four: A Deadly Harvest
The final stanza delivers the poem’s chilling conclusion. Under the cover of darkness, the foe steals the apple. The phrase “When the night had veil’d the pole” creates a sinister atmosphere. It suggests a world where moral guidance (the pole star) is obscured. The next morning, the speaker discovers his foe “outstretchd beneath the tree.” The enemy is dead, poisoned by the fruit of the speaker’s hatred. The most disturbing line is the last one: “In the morning glad I see.” The speaker feels joy at his enemy’s death. This reveals his complete moral decay. His suppressed anger did not just kill his foe; it also destroyed his own humanity.
Key Themes in “A Poison Tree”
William Blake: A Poison Tree – Poetry Fo… weaves several profound themes into this seemingly simple poem. These ideas explore the darkest corners of the human psyche.
Anger, Repression, and Consequences
The most prominent theme is the danger of repressing anger. The poem argues that expressing anger is a healthy, natural process. Telling his friend about his wrath ended it. In contrast, bottling up anger allows it to fester and transform into something far more toxic. It becomes a calculated, poisonous force. The poem serves as a cautionary tale. It warns that unaddressed emotions do not simply disappear; they grow into destructive forces that harm both others and oneself.
Deceit and Hypocrisy
Deceit is the fertilizer for the poison tree. The speaker hides his true feelings behind a mask of pleasantness. His smiles and wiles are not genuine expressions of kindness. Instead, they are tools he uses to nurture his hatred in secret. This hypocrisy is central to the poem’s message. It shows how internal corruption can exist behind a civilized exterior. Blake critiques a society that may encourage politeness over honesty, leading to dangerous emotional dishonesty.
Revenge and Moral Corruption
The poem is ultimately a story of successful revenge. The speaker achieves his goal of eliminating his foe. However, this victory comes at a great cost. In the process of cultivating his hatred, the speaker becomes a monster. His gladness at seeing his dead enemy shows a complete lack of empathy or remorse. The desire for revenge has corrupted his soul entirely. William Blake: Poetry, Poems and Biograp… suggests that the act of seeking revenge is inherently self-destructive, poisoning the avenger as much as the victim.