Starter quiz
- What happens to the speaker's "foe" at the end of the poem?
- He and the speaker reconcile their differences and become friends.
- He is found dead under the tree after attempting to steal the fruit it bore. ✓
- He kills the speaker in a fit of rage.
- The speaker's anger consumes him and he murders his enemy.
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- What is a metaphor?
- using 'like' or 'as' to comparing two thing and emphasise shared qualities
- directly comparing two different things in order to emphasise shared qualities ✓
- using natural descriptions to mirror the emotive tone of a text
- giving human attributes to non-human entities
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- William Blake was a Romantic poet. This means...
- he was famous for writing sonnets and other love poems
- he was known for subverting love poetry, using it to explore societal issues
- he was part of a cultural movement emphasising emotion, individualism and nature ✓
- he was known for writing songs, many of which were later put to classical music
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- What is a rhyme scheme?
- the pattern of rhyming and non-rhyming lines in a poem ✓
- when every single line in a poem rhymes
- using rhyme at the beginning of a line instead of at the end
- the use of a repeated chorus in a poem
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- Which of the following are conventions of Romantic poetry?
- focus on individual experience ✓
- depicts everyday life realistically
- explores the beauty of nature ✓
- explores human existence in a meaningless universe
- focuses on simplicity and the mundane
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- What is symbolism?
- using the weather to mirror the emotive mood of a text
- repeating the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines of poetry
- structuring a poem so it has the physical shape of an object, animal etc.
- using concrete objects to represent abstract ideas, concepts or emotions ✓
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Exit quiz
- Blake conveys the all-consuming nature of these negative emotions by contrasting references to ______ throughout the poem.
- day and night ✓
- trees and flowers
- happiness and sadness
- friends and enemies
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- What is 'wrath'?
- the name for the poisonous snake in the Garden of Eden
- an intense and severe form of anger, often associated with a desire for revenge ✓
- a serious betrayal of trust among friends
- a feeling of intense envy, as though someone else is living the life you deserve
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- What is rhythm?
- a writing style characterised by short, abrupt sentences or phrases
- the pattern of beats or sounds in speech or writing ✓
- art of effective or persuasive speaking/writing, often using literary methods
- the repetition of similar sounds, usually at the end of words
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- Throughout, the poem 'A Poison Tree', Blake compares the speaker's wrath to a tree. This is an example of ...
- anaphora
- juxtaposition
- an extended metaphor ✓
- personification
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- In 'A Poison Tree', Blake uses an ______ rhyme scheme which gives the poem a musical feel.
- ABAB
- ABCB
- AABB ✓
- ABCA
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- Which of these interpretations about Blake's use of symbolism in 'A Poison Tree' are relevant and accurate?
- The apple may symbolise the sweetness (kindness) underneath the speaker's wrath.
- The apple could symbolise how relationships with others help to feed our souls.
- The apple may symbolise corruption and link to the apple in the Garden of Eden. ✓
- The apple could symbolise danger since it poisons the speaker at the end. ✓
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- There are repeated references to both day and night in the poem, illustrating the all consuming nature of emotions.
- The extended metaphor of a tree is used to depict how negative strong emotions can grow.
- The apple grown on the tree could symbolise the speaker’s growing resentment towards their “foe”.
- The rhythm of the poem is straightforward and matter-of-fact, reflecting the everyday nature of these emotions.
- Arguably, the ABAB rhyme scheme has a nursery rhyme feel giving the impression of it as a ‘cautionary tale’.
Common misconception
The speaker's foe was poisoned by the fruit he grew.
At the beginning of the poem, the speaker seems to imply that the tree is metaphorical since it "grew" from the speaker's anger and resentment so perhaps the death of the "foe" could symbolise another sort of revenge undertaken by the speaker.
Keywords
Wrath - intense anger or fury often leading to destructive actions or outcomes
Cautionary tale - a narrative designed to teach a lesson, typically warning against certain behaviours or actions
Rhythm - the pattern of beats or sounds in speech or writing, creating a sense of musicality
Symbolism - the use of concrete objects or actions to represent abstract feelings, ideas or concepts
Extended metaphor - a metaphor that is sustained or developed throughout a piece of writing
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