ALIPASA, Clark Dominic L.

STYLISTICS
The 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.

July 11, 2012

And I water'd it in fears, Night & morning with my tears; And I sunned it with my smiles And 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 stole When the night had veil'd the pole: In the morning glad I see My foe outstretch'd beneath the tree

First Stanza William Blake speaks of someone, his friend and his foe, whom has he is angry with. When he says I told my wrath, my wrath did end after he said he was angry with his friend, he is saying he was able to get over being angry with his friend and forgot about it. Although, it is quite the opposite when he mentions I told it not, and my wrath did grow. Blake is saying that with his enemy, he allowed himself to get angry, and therefore, his wrath did grow. Second Stanza In this stanza, Blake begins to make his anger grow and he takes pleasure in it, comparing his anger with something, in this case, a tree or plant. The speaker says he sunned it with smiles and and with soft, deceitful wiles. This means he is creating an illusion with his enemy saying he is pretending to be friendly to seduce and bring him closer. Third Stanza And it grew both day and night and til it bore an apple bright are meaning that his illusion with his enemy is growing and growing until it became a strong and tempting thing. His illusion has a metaphor and it is an apple. After, his foe believes it shines, which means he

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ALIPASA, Clark Dominic L.

STYLISTICS

July 11, 2012

thinks its true and means something, and takes Blake illusion seriously. And he knew it was mine suggests that he really thinks Blake is his friend. Fourth Stanza Being the last stanza, Blake needed to come up with a conclusion. He has used the two lines in the morning glad I see and my foe outstretched beneath the tree to say that his foe finally fell to his tempting illusion and metaphorically, consumed his poison apple and died. So, obviously, his malicious intentions were hidden behind illusion and he prevailed over his enemy.

PARAPHRASE: In stanza one, Blake is showing the audience how different one might act towards ones friend and how they may use a different course of action when referring to one of their foes. He can talk to his friend about his wrath but has a harder time telling his foe. In stanza two, Blake is referring maybe to a tree that grows as he watered it with fearssunned it with smiles and soft deceitful wiles. He is stating there that his enemy might not even know he is being tricked by the speaker, causing his foe to get closer. This to me is what the quote, Keep your friends close, and keep your enemies closer means. With that being said, I believe this is the cause of Blakes deviousness. He wants his foe to fall in his trap. And it grew both day and night, is simply saying that the longer that you hold in your hurts or true feelings, the stronger they might grow inside of you, until you finally burst. He shows this in line ten by using an apple sprouting from the tree, till it bore an apple bright. Finally, the speakers plan has worked. His foe took the apple like he had hoped, and because the tree was nourished around nothing but hate and anger surrounding its environment, it sprouts a bad apple. In this poem the bad apple is a poisoned apple, and in result kills the speakers enemy. PURPOSE: The author wrote this poem to express his success in taking his revenge to his long-tme companion whom he secretly resented. This could certainly be an admonition or his words of warning to those who carelessly keep on offending others consciously or even unconsciously; their offenses and everything that they have done wrongly deserve vengeance and an act similar or even greater than it as repayment.

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ALIPASA, Clark Dominic L.

STYLISTICS

July 11, 2012

Otherwise, this (poem) could also serve as forewarning to us (people) to be always careful of revengeful spiritstheir revengeful actionsdue to the possibility that they are having antagonism or hatred toward us or something that we do/did, and they have planning something evil bust wiles behind our back. Friendly, silent and gentle faces or approach can always deceitful. One of the most remarkable purpose that this poem can depict is forgiving and the essence of reconciliation. People often commit mistakes offending or hurting their neighbours, even their friends, beyond their knowledge or consciousness. We just have to tell them lovingly how we are somehow offended by a thing he/she has said or done. If cannot be possibly brought out verbally or personally, the spirit of pardoning, loving and forgiving must always be existing. Structure: The poem is consist of four(4) stanzas, and each stanza has four lines; every quatrain apparently comprises two rhyming couplets, and the whole poem observes a very simple rhyme scheme ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GHGH. Meter and syllabication throughout the entire piece are also aesthetically arranged, giving a greater sense of artistry and making it more amusing to read (aloud). On the first stanza, the first and third lines both contain seven(7) syllables, whereas the second and third have eight. The rest of the lines, though not exactly the same in terms of syllabication length, constitute an average of still seven syllablesnot less than five syllables but never exceeding eight. Speaker: Many critics/analysts believe that William Blake is the main speaker or persona in this poem, himselfa person who conceals his anger towards a companion (perhaps a friend) that is why this anger grew bigger and bigger until he mercilessly yet gladly, according to his narration, came to the point to murder/poison the offender in a silent and affable way. The point of view is in the first person.

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ALIPASA, Clark Dominic L.

Shift:

STYLISTICS

July 11, 2012

The shift is early drawn in the first set of two lines wherein the situations are different. In the first couplet, the speaker is angry at his friend; in the second, at his foe. This difference immediately makes the simple poem less simple. The lines are not really moralizing about confessing or concealing anger. They are referring to the way people classify other people as friends and foes and to the different ways people treat friends and foes. By extension, the poem considers the nature and consequences of anger, exploring how it grows and what it grows into. Syntax/Grammar: The first deviation or error in syntax is apparent already in the first stanza wherein the usage of punctuation creates two(2) comma-spliced sentences: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I told in not, my wrath did grow. This is for authors purpose to retain the readers focus to the message of the clause since it is not yet done, and junctures are just created by commas; this is to most likely emphasis the value of the presence of the word wrath in this stanza as it is in the whole poem. To correct grammatically, semicolons(;) may be used instead of commas(,). Some lines begin with and which is a coordinating conjunction that cannot advisably start a sentence. Provided that and is the initial word, the poet or the poem requires it to be capitalized, making the conjunctions at the beginning of the line more obvious. I have also recorded dependent and prepositional phrases present in independent lines. Night and morning with my tears Till it bore an apple brigh When the night had veiled the pole In the morning glad I see Tone: William Blake uses a very distinct tone in this poem. It is one of maliciousness and bitterness. It is full of much anger, resentment and retribution causing the author suffer in deep concealment of his wrath until the wicked gladness mentioned in the second to the last line.

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ALIPASA, Clark Dominic L.

STYLISTICS

July 11, 2012

Theme: Be they friend or foe, harbouring a grudge only makes things worse. The theme is that everyone has experienced these feelings in some degrees. The poem displays a truth about human nature that is quite dark and unfortunateto take delight in another persons misfortune whether it is deserved or not is tragic. It, as well, depicts the very fact that anger coupled with jealousy should never be resisted within one's heart. They should rather be told to those with whom you have any problems, and taking revenge through cunning stratagems would never be reasonable or righteous. Title: The Poison Tree, the title, may bring us into the image of the Apple Tree in the story of Adam an Eve in the Book of Genesis which connotes a punishment. On another angle, poison used as a noun adjective modifying the tree literally signifies that this tree is lethal and some would die of its state of being poisonous due of ones (his/her) foolishness, greed, selfishness, and the like. However, the Poison Tree here in this poem is a feeling planted, homed, and raised by a persons (the narrators) hatred or simply anger. It started from a small seed, figuratively speaking, from which grew a plant of resentment, a tree of revenge, and a fruit of injustice justice. It just grew healthier and healthier to bear a fruit which aims nothing but to seek revenge quietly.

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