A Poison Tree

by William Blake · 1794 · 1 min läsning · 16 rader

Kort sagt

“A Poison Tree” by William Blake is a poem about anger that grows destructive when it is hidden rather than expressed. The speaker first contrasts two experiences: telling a friend about anger ends it, while keeping anger from an enemy allows it to grow. That hidden feeling becomes a plant, watered with tears and warmed by smiles that conceal deceit. It grows through day and night until it produces a bright apple, which attracts the enemy’s attention. The enemy enters the speaker’s garden under cover of darkness. By morning, the speaker is glad to find the enemy stretched beneath the tree. The ending makes the speaker’s pleasure disturbing and leaves readers to consider how private resentment becomes a carefully nurtured threat.

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 fearsNight and morning with my tears,And I sunned it with smilesAnd 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.

Vad det betyder, rad för rad

Rad 1 till 4: The opening sets up two opposite results. Speaking honestly to a friend brings anger to an end; withholding it from an enemy makes it increase. The repeated sentence patterns make the contrast especially clear, placing the choice to speak or remain silent at the center of what follows.

Rad 5 till 8: The speaker describes anger as something cultivated. Fear and tears supply its water, while smiles and deceptive behavior supply its sunlight. This extended plant comparison shows that the anger is not simply left alone: the speaker repeatedly feeds it, even while outward appearances may seem friendly.

Rad 9 till 12: The growing anger produces a shining apple. Its brightness attracts the enemy, who recognizes it as the speaker’s possession. The image turns a hidden feeling into a visible temptation. Something that looks desirable has grown from fear, grief, and deceit, making its beauty unsettling.

Rad 13 till 16: The enemy secretly enters the garden at night, and morning reveals him stretched beneath the tree. The title suggests a poisonous outcome, though the lines do not explicitly describe eating the apple or state that he has died. The speaker’s gladness makes the final scene especially troubling.

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Tre frågor att fundera över

How does the contrast between the friend and the enemy shape your understanding of the speaker’s anger?
What do the tears, smiles, and bright apple suggest about the relationship between appearances and intentions?
How does the speaker’s gladness affect your interpretation of the final image beneath the tree?

Gratis i 3 månader

200 000+ klassiker. Alla format, gratis till att börja med.

E-böcker och 15-minuterssammanfattningar, och valfri bok tryckt till självkostnadspris, även i storstil.

Börja gratisFörnyas varje år · Avsluta när du vill

Nästa diktRichard CoryEdwin Arlington Robinson · 1 min läsning