A Poison Tree Flashcards
‘I told my wrath, my wrath did end…
I told it not, my wrath did grow’
‘Water’d it in…
Fears…with my tears’
‘And I sunned it with…
Smiles, and with soft deceitful wiles’
‘And it grew both…
Day and night’
What is the form of the poem?
A simple rhyme scheme made up of rhyming couplets. Creates a regular beat and makes it sound like a nursery rhyme, implying that it has a moral message.
What is the structure of the poem?
The first stanza introduces the moral message. The following stanzas introduce and develop the extended metaphor of the tree as it grows.
How are contrasts used in the poem?
Used to emphasise the moral message as we see the differences between voicing and hiding your anger which emphasises the consequences.
How is natural language used in the poem?
Speakers anger is described using the metaphor of a poison tree, which they ‘sunn’d’ and ‘water’d’ with their emotions, causing it to grow naturally.
