Class : 9 - Unit 2 Poem - A Poison Tree - William Blake

 

Unit 2 Poem -  A Poison Tree - William Blake 

A. Choose the option that suits your own behavior in the given situations. Compare your answers with your partner's answers.

1. You overhear a friend talking badly about you. How angry does that make you feel?

 I don’t feel angry at all.

 I feel moderately angry.

 I feel slightly annoyed.

 I feel very angry.

 I feel a little angry.

 I feel furious.

2. Your friend persuades you to take help to prepare for the Maths board examination, from a close friend. That person does not turn up at all, as agreed. How angry does that make you feel?

 I don’t feel angry at all.

 I feel moderately angry.

 I feel slightly annoyed.

 I feel very angry.

 I feel a little angry.

 I feel furious.

3. You have agreed to pick up some friends at the train station. They are coming to stay with you for a few days. You’ve arranged with your elder brother/ sister to drive the car for the day. You are about to leave the house when you realise the car is outside but your brother/ sister has gone to work, taking the keys!. How angry does that make you feel?

 I don’t feel angry at all.

 I feel moderately angry.

 I feel slightly annoyed.

 I feel very angry.

 I feel a little angry.

 I feel furious.

4. During a get together, your friend makes fun of your singing in front of your friends. You thought your singing was fine, but your friend thinks you really need to practise much more. How angry does that make you feel?

 I don’t feel angry at all.

 I feel moderately angry.

 I feel slightly annoyed.

 I feel very angry.

 I feel a little angry.

 I feel furious.

 

1. You overhear a friend talking badly about you. How angry does that make you feel?
→ I feel very angry.
(It's hurtful when someone you trust speaks negatively about you behind your back.)

2. Your friend persuades you to take help to prepare for the Maths board examination, from a close friend. That person does not turn up at all, as agreed. How angry does that make you feel?
→ I feel moderately angry.
(It’s frustrating when people don’t keep their promises, especially when you’re relying on them.)

3. You have agreed to pick up some friends at the train station... but your brother/ sister has gone to work, taking the keys! How angry does that make you feel?
→ I feel slightly annoyed.
(It’s annoying, but maybe they forgot. I can try to find a backup plan.)

4. During a get together, your friend makes fun of your singing in front of your friends. How angry does that make you feel?
→ I feel a little angry.
(It’s embarrassing, but I’d also try to take it as a joke if it wasn’t meant to hurt.)

 

 

B. Answer the following questions. Share your views with the class.

 

 1. Do you argue often with your classmates?
Not very often, but sometimes small disagreements do happen—especially during group work or when we have different opinions. It’s normal, but I try to sort things out calmly.

2. Do you forgive them or choose to remain enemies forever?
I try to forgive them. Staying angry forever only makes things worse. It feels better to clear misunderstandings and be friends again.

3. How long does your anger last?
Usually, my anger doesn’t last very long. Once I calm down or talk about the issue, I feel better. Sometimes, if something really hurt me, it may take a little longer, but I still try not to hold a grudge.

 

A 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.

And I water’d 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 morning glad I see,

My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

William Blake

 

A. Answer the following questions in a sentence or two.

 1. I was angry with my friend

I told my wrath, my wrath did end.

a)      Whom does ‘I’ refer to?

 ‘I’ refers to the poet or speaker.

            b) How did the anger of the poet come to an end?

                  The poet's anger ended when he expressed it to his friend.

 

2. And I watered it in fears

Night and morning with my tears;

a) What does ‘it’ refer to?

 ‘It’ refers to the poet’s suppressed anger.

b) How is ‘it’ watered?

It is watered with fars and tears, showing how the anger was nourished emotionally.

 

3. In the morning glad I see

My foe outstretched beneath the tree

a) How did the poet feel in the morning?

The poet felt glad in the morning.

b) Who is the ‘foe’ referred to here?

  The ‘foe’ is the enemy of the poet.

c) Why was the ‘foe’ found lying outstretched beneath the tree?

      The foe was tempted by the bright apple and came secretly at night to steal it, which led to     his death.

4. And it grew both day and night,

Till it bore an apple bright.

a) What does ‘it’ refer to?

‘It’ refers to the poet’s anger.

b) What does ‘apple’ signify?

The ‘apple’ signifies the result of nourished anger—hatred and revenge.

c) What grew both day and night?

    The poet’s anger grew both day and night.

 B. Complete the summary by filling in the given spaces with suitable words.

Once the poet was angry with his friend. He expressed his (i) wrath and it ended. They became friends. But when he grew angry with his foe, he (ii) suppressed it and allowed his anger to grow. Day and night he watered it with his tears and allowed it to grow. He (iii) deceived his foe with false smiles and cunning tricks. The tree kept growing and yielded a bright apple which (iv) attracted his foe to eat it stealthily during the night. The next morning the poet was happy to see his foe lying (v) outstretched under the tree.

C. Answer the following questions in about 80–100 words:

1. How did the poet’s anger with his friend end?
The poet’s anger with his friend ended when he expressed his feelings openly. By communicating his emotions, the misunderstanding between them was resolved. The expression of wrath helped clear the air, leading to forgiveness and reconciliation. This shows that being honest and open with friends can help maintain healthy relationships and prevent long-term resentment.

2. Describe how his anger kept growing.
The poet's anger towards his foe grew because he kept it hidden. Instead of talking about it, he fed it silently with his fears and sadness, like watering a plant. He pretended to be friendly, using smiles and tricks, but deep inside, his anger kept growing stronger. This emotional nourishment allowed his anger to grow like a tree, eventually bearing a poisonous fruit that harmed his enemy.

3. Describe the effect of the poisonous fruit on the ‘enemy’.
The poisonous fruit, which symbolizes the result of the poet’s deep-rooted anger, tempted the enemy. At night, the foe sneaked into the poet's garden and ate the apple. The next morning, the poet found his enemy lying dead beneath the tree. This suggests that the suppressed anger turned into a deadly force. Instead of resolving the conflict, it led to destruction. The poem warns us about the dangers of bottling up negative emotions.

 

 E. Read the following lines from the poem and answer the questions that follow.

1. 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.

i. Rhyming words: friend – end, foe – grow
ii. Rhyme scheme: AABB
iii. Figure of speech in the title “A Poison Tree”: Metaphor – the tree represents growing anger.

2. And I water'd it in fears

Night and morning with my tears;

i. What figure of speech is used in ‘watered it in fears’?

Figure of speech: Metaphor – Anger is compared to a plant being nurtured.

* Listening

F. Listen to the passage on 'anger management' and match the sentence parts by drawing a line. The recording can be played more than once if needed.

 

It’s natural to get angry. But it’s a virtue to know how to handle it. It

deals with certain anger management issues . Here are some of the

best anger management tips to help you get over being angry quickly.

Meditation is definitely a great technique to calm your inner self, thereby

controlling those sudden angry outbursts. Meditation does not always require that you

sit in a place and keep peeping at the watch. You need a peaceful place to sit upright.

 

1. Meditation is definitely a great technique .......
→ c) to calm your inner self.

2. There is a person living inside you .............
→ e) who always tells you how to act.

3. Getting angry is natural but ..............
→ b) to know how to handle it is a virtue.

4. Anger is something that releases the tension ............
→ a) who will take care of the reason why you got angry.

5. Close your eyes and ...........
→ d) speak to yourself and calm yourself.

G. Answer the following in about 80- 100 words. Take ideas from the poem and also use your own ideas.

1. Recall a recent situation when you became angry. What were the consequences of your anger? After listening to the guidelines on anger management, find out how well you could have handled the situation. Write your findings.

 

 Recall a recent situation when you became angry...

Recently, I became angry when a classmate blamed me for something I didn’t do during a group project. I immediately shouted at them in front of everyone. As a result, the situation became tense, and we both stopped talking. After learning about anger management, I realized I could have handled it better by staying calm and discussing the issue privately. If I had expressed my feelings calmly, the misunderstanding could have been resolved easily. Holding onto anger, like in the poem, only makes things worse and damages relationships. 

2. What might have caused the conflict which led to the poet becoming angry with his enemy? Think of one such situation that you have experienced. Describe how you felt and how the enmity grew and things became worse.

What might have caused the conflict which led to the poet becoming angry with his enemy?

The conflict in the poem may have started from betrayal, jealousy, or a harsh comment that hurt the poet deeply. Once, I had a disagreement with a friend over a competition. Instead of talking it out, I stayed silent and started avoiding them. My anger grew over time, and I even started thinking negatively about them. Just like in the poem, the enmity kept growing inside me. Eventually, our friendship ended. If I had addressed the issue early, I could have saved the bond. Unspoken anger often leads to regret.

H. Discuss and Write.

1. Identify five to six qualities which make an ordinary person, loved and respected by

all. Work in groups of five or six. Each group has to take up one quality and discuss

the methods for imbibing that quality and identify the challenges that need to be

faced.

Here are six key qualities, with one explained in detail as per the activity:

Qualities:

·         Honesty

·         Kindness

·         Patience

·         Responsibility

·         Respectfulness

·         Empathy

Let’s take Patience as an example to develop:

Group Topic – Patience

·         Methods to imbibe Patience:

o    Practice deep breathing when feeling frustrated.

o    Develop the habit of listening without interrupting.

o    Try to understand others' perspectives.

o    Set realistic expectations to avoid unnecessary pressure.

·         Challenges faced:

o    In a fast-paced world, waiting can feel difficult.

o    Peer pressure and competition may lead to impatience.

o    Immediate gratification from gadgets or games reduces tolerance for delays.

o    Managing emotions during stressful times requires self-control.

(You can assign other groups one quality each to discuss similarly.)

 

2. Adolescents are often distracted by feelings like anger, disappointment and general

helplessness when they face challenges at school or at home. Suggest way to turn

such feelings into positive ones.

Adolescence is a time of emotional changes, and challenges at school or home can make teens feel overwhelmed. However, these emotions can be redirected positively with the right approach:

·         Talk to someone you trust – Sharing your feelings can reduce stress and bring clarity.

·         Channel emotions into creativity – Writing, drawing, music, or dance can be healthy outlets.

·         Practice mindfulness or meditation – Helps to calm the mind and improve self-awareness.

·         Set small goals – Achieving small tasks boosts confidence and motivation.

·         Physical activity – Exercise helps release stress and improves mood.

·         Avoid isolation – Staying connected with friends or supportive people can help shift negative thoughts.

By learning to manage emotions, adolescents can grow into emotionally intelligent and resilient individuals.