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A Poison Tree by William Blake is metaphorically describing the idea of life and the natural way humans live and choose to experience it. The poem describes the wrath of anger which can be dispersed by kindness or become a lethal poison if continued to be nurtured within oneself. The theme of the poem is an appropriate reference to the biblical theme of Adam and Eve. The opening stanza organizes everything from expressing the anger to the “friend” to the withholding the anger from the “foe”. Blake uses the simplicity of the poem to surprise his readers with his metaphors that apply themselves to countless occurrences in life. Blake uses different types of figurative language, so that he is able to use a simple rhyme scheme (AABB) in order to keep his readers interested and the poem is consistent. By using different types of figurative language, it grants him the access to express his thoughts and feelings more clearly to the reader, so that they have a better comprehension to what he is expressing. The different types of figurative language found in the poem helps the...
Mason, Michael. Notes to William Blake: A Critical Edition of the Major Works. Ed. Michael Mason. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
In traditional poems, poets use metaphors or similes to create a sense of mystery, Brown instead uses the southern dialect to describe the life of the
Within "A Poison Tree" the poet makes the accusation that if treating enemy as though they were a friend, there would be no anger to hold onto. "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." (Poison 1-4) The central theme of this poem concludes with that the bearer of hate is only weakened and the foe is able to gain solace and comfort from the misfortune of the person they wronged.
of the speaker through out the poem. One Art is a poem about inevitable loss and the incognizant
Blake had an uncanny ability to use his work to illustrate the unpleasant and often painful realities around him. His poetry consistently embodies an attitude of revolt against the abuse of class and power that appears guided by a unique brand of spirituality. His spiritual beliefs reached outside the boundaries of religious elites loyal to the monarchy. “He was inspired by dissident religious ideas rooted in the thinking of the most radical opponents of the monarchy during the English Civil War “(E. P. Thompson). Concern with war and the blighting effects of the industrial revolution were displayed in much of his work.
There are two kinds of people in the world, lambs and tigers. The lambs are the young and inexperienced, they have no greater knowledge of the harmful world around them, nor do they obtain any knowledge of true evil. Just like the animal itself, cute, calm, peaceful and non-violent. The tigers on the other hand have witness and experienced the horrors of the world around them; they have lived through horrors and hardships that have caused them to evolve from lambs to tigers. The times are tough in the time period of William Blake. In these two groups, the people are classified by either a lamb or a tiger. William Blake wrote two poems in his life; one called “The Lamb” the other call, “The Tyger.” These two poems were classified into two groups, one call the Songs of Innocence, the other call the Songs of Experience. The poem, “The Lamb” fits into Songs of Innocence due it is simplistic views and easy language, while the poem, “The Tyger” fits into Songs of Experience due to is tone and fear.
“A Poison Tree”, and many other poems by William Blake are superb examples of the Romanticism movement through their focus on the situation and sins of the common man and use of nature as a major symbol and conceit. These highly romantic characteristics, along with his simplistic language, convey the romantic focus on mankind. This poem is easily understood by all who read it; however simplistic it is, the message of warning continues to stand true. Blake’s unique transitional writing style to the romantic literary movement made him one of the most influential men in literature in his day. His works aided in the popularization of Romanticism, which continues to be a large contributor to the art and literature of today.
In “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 “friend,” to the continuing anger with the “foe.” Blake startles the reader with the clarity of the poem, and with metaphors that can apply to many instances of life.
The poem is divided into 2 Stanza's with 3 lines each. And there are an
The speaker seems as if he is trying to escape this horrendous beast, the reader can almost feel the panic and terror that the speaker seems to be going through. “Blake creates this effect by drawing on several poetic devices”(Furr).
The imagery of nature and humanity intermingling presents Blake's opinion on the inborn, innate harmony between nature and man. The persona of the poem goes on to express the `gentle streams beneath our feet' where `innocence and virtue meet'. This is where innocence dwells: synchronization with nature, not synchronization with industry where `babes are reduced to misery, fed with a cold usurous hand' as in the experienced version of `Holy Thursday'. The concept of the need for the individual's faithfulness to the laws of nature and what is natural is further reiterated in `the marriage of heaven and hell' in plate 10 where Blake states `where man is not, nature is barren'. The most elevated form of nature is human nature and when man resists and consciously negates nature, `nature' becomes `barren'. Blake goes on to say `sooner murder an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires'. This harks back to `the Songs of Innocence' `A Cradle Song' where the `infants smiles are his own smiles'. The infant is free to act out its desires as it pleases. It is unbound, untainted. Blake's concern is for the pallid and repressed, subjugated future that awaits the children who must `nurse unacted desires' and emotions in this new world of industrialisation. Despairingly, this is restated again in `the mind-forg'd manacles' of `London'. The imagery of the lambs of the `Songs of Innocence' `Introduction' is developed in `the Chimney Sweeper' into the image of `Little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head, that curl'd like a lamb's back, was shav'd'.
William Blake composed two series of poems: Songs of Experience and Songs of Innocence. The poems are intertwined as to compare the thoughts of children and adults on the same issues. The innocence of children is discussed on topics of religion, love, and justice. The opinions of adults are also experienced on these topics, but are given from a more experienced viewpoint. William Blake comparatively writes two series of poems to address the controversy of God, love, and justice from pure thinkers and from corrupt thinkers.
The final stanza of the poem concludes that God’s compassion for the human being, his creation, has the power to rid us of our suffering. God will not desert us, and will in fact “sit by us and moan” when we suffer.
as a separate group to the "infant" in the poem as he refers to them
meaning of the poem is greatly enhanced by its form, and for a variety of