A Poison Tree

Question 1

What are the first two lines of A Poison Tree?

Answer 1

I was angry with my friend:

I told my wrath, my wrath did end

Question 2

A Poison Tree: What are the rhyming couples in the first stanza and what do they show?

Answer 2

Friend - end
Foe - grow

Shows how the narrator prioritises the wrong relationships

Question 3

A Poison Tree: How does the narrator care for the tree and what effect does it have on him?

Answer 3

• Water’d it in fears
• with my tears
• Sunned it with smiles
• and with soft deceitful wiles

all to do with extreme emotions - instability because of the burden of the tree

Question 4

A Poison Tree: What links this poem to Christianity?

Answer 4

‘it bore an apple bright; and my foe beheld it shine’

The narrator has acted as God by planting the tree, but also as Satan by tempting the foe to the tree

Question 5

A Poison Tree: How does the poem end?

Answer 5

‘My foe outstretch’d beneath the tree’

The foe sneaks into the garden to the tree at nighttime - in the morning, the narrator sees the foe dead

Question 6

A Poison Tree: What happens on each stanza?

Answer 6

1. Introduction to hatred of foe
2. Caring for the tree
3. Foe is tempted by the fruit
4. Foe is found dead after sneaking to the tree

Question 7

A Poison Tree: What suggests the narrator’s pride?

Answer 7

‘My wrath did grow’ (positive connotation)

‘Soft, deceitful wiles’ (juxtaposition)

‘… knew that it was mine’ (personal - proud of possession)

‘… glad I see / My foe outstretch’d beneath the tree’ (positive emotion)