BSc BA ADP English Notes Poem A Poison Tree (William Blake) Summary & Introduction

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A Poison Tree (William Blake) Introduction

It is a short and impressive poem that gives us a lesson. Friends can forgive and forget but enemies nurse their enmity and grudges. Enemies take a negative pleasure in cheating and destroying each-other. The poet tells us the result of the nourishment of hatred here which is nothing other than destruction and death.

A Poison Tree (William Blake) Summary

The narrator was angry with his friend but he told about his anger to him. As a result, the anger was spent up and good-will prevailed between both of them. But one day he was angry with his enemy and he did not tell his enemy about his anger. As a result, the anger went on growing more and more.

The narrator gave this growing plant of hatred the water of his tears and was afraid of that. He met his enemy with a smiling face and cheated him into believing that there was nothing wrong between them.

In this way the hatred went on growing day and night. The plant (of hatred) became a tall tree and it bore an apple that was of bright color. The enemy saw the beautiful apple shine in the day light. He knew that, it belonged to the narrator. When the night covered everything in darkness, he came into the garden of the narrator stealthily. He plucked the apple and ate it. As the apple was fully poisonous, he died. In the morning the narrator was pleased to see his enemy lying dead under the tree of hatred.