Welcome to My Bitesize, let's get you set up!

Add your subjects to find the right study guides, track progress and keep everything in one place.

Add my subjects
My Subjects

A Poison Tree by William Blake - OCRThe poem

A Poison Tree deals with a key human emotion - anger. The poem’s content, ideas, language and structure are explored. Comparisons and alternative interpretations are also considered.

Part of English LiteraturePoems

The poem

A Poison Tree
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 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 veil’d the pole:
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretch’d beneath the tree.

Note: this poem is included for reference purposes, please refer to your anthology for the definitive version.

Trending Now