"A Poison Tree" is a poem written by William Blake, a poet and artist who was active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The poem is a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the theme of anger and the destructive power it can wield.
The poem tells the story of a speaker who becomes angry with a friend and chooses to nurture that anger, rather than resolving the issue or trying to let go of the emotion. The speaker says, "I was angry with my friend: / I told my wrath, my wrath did end." This line suggests that the speaker initially felt better after venting their anger to their friend, but the poem makes it clear that this was only a temporary resolution.
As the poem progresses, the speaker's anger grows and becomes more destructive. They say, "I was angry with my foe: / I told it not, my wrath did grow." Here, the speaker has chosen to keep their anger bottled up, and as a result, it has grown and become more intense. This decision has serious consequences, as the speaker goes on to say, "And I watered it in fears, / Night & morning with my tears."
The imagery of watering a tree with tears and fears highlights the way in which the speaker is nurturing and feeding their anger, rather than letting it go. The poem suggests that by choosing to hold onto their anger and allowing it to grow, the speaker has created a "poison tree" that will eventually cause harm to themselves and others.
The final stanza of the poem serves as a warning to the reader, urging them to be mindful of the way they handle their own anger. The speaker says, "And I sunned it with smiles, / And with soft deceitful wiles." Here, the speaker describes the way in which they pretended to be friendly and kind, while secretly harboring their anger and allowing it to grow. This behavior is described as deceitful and dangerous, suggesting that it is not a healthy way to deal with negative emotions.
In conclusion, "A Poison Tree" is a thought-provoking and powerful poem that explores the destructive power of anger. It serves as a warning to readers to be mindful of the way they handle their own emotions, and to strive to resolve conflicts and let go of negative feelings rather than nurturing them and allowing them to grow.
