Analysis of A Poison Tree Essay - 1370 Words

In his work, Songs of Innocence and Experience: Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul, William Blake uses the aforementioned contrasting states of being to illustrate his unique view of the world around him. Through this work, Blake lays bare his soulful views of religion and ethics, daring the reader to continue on in their narcissistic attitudes and self-serving politics. While Blakes work had countless themes, some of the most prevalent were religious reform, social change, and morality. Philosophically, one would think that William Blake was a Deist; however Blake rejected the Deist view of life. He was a devout Christian, yet he also wanted nothing to do with the church or their teachings. These views give Blake a†¦show more content†¦Apple is full of poison, enemy is dead. The end. Nevertheless, Blake is famous for are his multi-layered works. Poems that are simple at first glance, yet they take you deeper and deeper the more you delve. Similarly, A Poison Tree, demonstrates the emotional as well as spiritual toll that the repression of feelings, in this case anger, can take on an individual. The poem, originally titled Christian Forbearance, was aptly named because it dealt with the Christian G-d and the virtues that He tried to instill in man, one of those virtues being forbearance (Gleckner, 255). Forbearance, or a lack thereof, is clearly illustrated in this work. This style of narrative takes the reader on a journey from innocence into experience, which parallels the fall of man. In the same way that the Bible tells of how Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden and their subsequent separation from G-d, so too does this poem tell of how man and his suppression of feeling leads to a separation from the mind and soul. Symbolic on a religious level, the tree represents the Tree of Knowledge, while the apple signifies the forbidden fruit. The speaker represents human life (Adam and Eve). While the foe repre sents the snake or temptation. The death at the end of the poem results from the loss of innocence and full blown hatred, which is sometimes akin to love. Throughout the poem, the tone and the language that the speaker uses makes it obvious that theShow MoreRelatedA Poison Tree Analysis918 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of the poem â€Å"A poison tree† by William Blake I am going to write about and analyse the poem â€Å"A poison tree† by William Blake. The poem †A poison tree† was written by William Blake in 1794 as a collection of poems as Songs of Experience. â€Å"A poison tree† is about humanity ´s hatred upon other people, and finally getting vengeance. Although it is a short poem, Blake clearly gives every sentence a whole meaning. Containing only 4 stanzas and 16 lines. The rhyme scheme used is: a aRead MoreA Poison Tree Analysis858 Words   |  4 Pagesthing in overcoming these situations and challenges in life. This idea can be seen in many pieces of text including the following poems. â€Å"A Poison Tree† by William Blake and â€Å"A total stranger one black day† by e.e. cummings both convey the message that people need to learn to forgive in order to move on which also means learning from mistakes. Through â€Å"A Poison Tree,† William Blake conveys that people need to learn to forgive in order to move on and this means learning from mistakes. The use of endRead MoreA Poison Tree Analysis Essay977 Words   |  4 PagesRunning head: Analysis of William Blake’s A Poison Tree (1794) Analysis of William Blake’s A Poison Tree (1794) Jayne Courtney Kendall Brandman University Abstract This analysis is going to explore each segment to better understand the meaning the author was trying to express and the lessons that we in these words that transcends through all ages. The exploration and analysis will look further in to what we can take away from this writing and lesson we can learn in order for our soul’sRead MoreStylistic Analysis of Poison Tree869 Words   |  4 PagesA Poison Tree a poem by William Blake 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. And I watered it in fears, Night and morning with my tears: And I sunned it with 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 veiled the pole; In the morningRead More Analysis of William Blakes A Poison Tree Essay530 Words   |  3 PagesIn â€Å"A Poison Tree,† by William Blake is a central metaphor explains a truth of human nature. The opening stanza sets up everything for the entire poem, from the ending of anger with the â€Å"friend,† to the continuing anger with the â€Å"foe.† Blake startles the reader with the clarity of the poem, and with metaphors that can apply to many instances of life. Blake also uses several forms of figurative language. He works with a simple AABB rhyme scheme to keep his poem flowing. These ideals allow himRead MoreCritical Analysis Of William Blakes A Poison Tree926 Words   |  4 Pagesillustrated in William Blake’s poem â€Å"A Poison Tree.† This poem directs the readers to the importance of communication and willingness to forgive. The moment the speaker refuses to communicate his or her anger is the point in which the cultivation of the wrath begins. By looking at the concealment of the wrath and the opposition between communication and concealment in addition to the structure developed by tension we see the metaphorical growth of the wrath as if it were a tree. This leads us to understandRead MoreAnalysis Of Edgar Allen Poe And A Poison Tree By William Blake860 Words   |  4 Pagessafe? Have you done anything? Think again, even the little things. Sometimes you may never know. Hopefully you dont end up like these two ill-fa ted men that were suddenly murdered. In the texts â€Å"The Cask Of Amantiatio† by Edgar Allen Poe and â€Å"A Poison Tree† by William Blake, They plotted their murders carefully and made sure nobody would find out it was them. Edgar Allen Poe and William Blake show that revenge can come as a shock because sometimes appearance hides reality. There are two literary devicesRead MoreEssay on The Message Behind A Poison Tree1077 Words   |  5 Pages(Eaves). The poem that I have analyzed is A Poison Tree. Blake strategically placed imagery and personification to hide his underlying truth; do not store up anger because horrible situations will arise. At first glance the poem seems hate filled and that he just wrote it out of revenge or angst, but in reality he is teaching a moral lesson that should be taken very seriously. Blake’s structure in the poem is interesting in its symbolism. He wrote A Poison Tree in four stanzas. Upon first glance it seemsRead MoreThe Unknown Citizen By. Auden1527 Words   |  7 PagesThe Unknown Citizen Analysis The Unknown Citizen, written by W.H. Auden, is a satirical poem declaring the petty accomplishments achieved by an unnamed citizen in a presumably American or industrialized society. Through several readings of the poem, many would not even consider the Unknown Citizen as a poem, but rather, a letter of recommendation or a speech for a political election. The only obvious characteristic of this piece resembling a poem is the rhyming scheme. Other than rhyming, thereRead MoreThe Use of Symbolism in Rappaccinis Daughter1295 Words   |  6 PagesThe use of Symbolism in Rappaccinis Daughter Nathaniel Hawthornes work is unique. His writings are full of subtle imagination, analysis, and poetic wording. His short stories are known for their originality and for their ability to provoke the readers thoughts. Although a large portion of his stories are allegories, Hawthornes preference is to draw more heavily on symbolism (Pennell 13). His use of symbols adds depth to his stories and helps to reveal different aspects of his characters