A Poison Tree, by William Blake. Let’s talk about what this means

First of all, Blake was mentally ill. It’s why a lot of his poems suggest he was drugged out of his gourd.

Second, this poem is at least partially about anger, and not holding it in. Anger needs to be let out, to be expressed and seen instead of held in, poisoning you.

As I recall, it’s original title had something to do with Christianity.

is just like a story I know called ‘The Puppy Who Lost His Way.’ The world was changing, and the puppy was getting...bigger."

No, he poisoned that no good son of a gun.

- Norm Macdonald
-- Michael Scott
--- junkfunky

If we keep our hatreds and wrath secret, rather than expressing and resolving them, they grow inside of us. (My wrath did grow)

In growing, they inflict suffering on the one who harbors the wrath (fears, tears) and evolve into obsessions (smiles, deceitful wiles).

But sometimes, these hidden, obsessive hatreds also serve as motivation and yield gratifying vengeance (an apple bright, glad I see).

Ultimately, unspoken wrath destroys both the hater and the hated.

quote:

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I’m…torn.
Is it about how hate forgiven frees us?

About how hate fostered condemns is?

Or about how if we plant the seeds that our enemies will take the poisoned fruit and allow us an opportunity?

This isn’t my own palp but that of a recognized master.

Digest and discuss.
Or digress with disgust

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We used to over analyze these in high school. I tried to explain to my teacher why did it have to mean anything. Maybe Blake was just spouting off dribble that rhymed. He did not like that.

I think it's about how harboring hate eventually ends in death. Spiritually and relationally. "And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole." I think this part is referring to the pole as the North pole. Or a true north, guiding light, it has been "veiled" or covered. When we harbor hatred we eventually act out of it instead of love and lose our way.

I think the second stanza the author is describing the fake kindness they are exhibiting to the enemy. "Sunned with smiles and deceitful wiles"

The enemy doesn't realize the true feelings of the author, and sees the fruit (their relationship) as a good and healthy thing. But, once the got closer and tasted of the apple, they realized it was poisoned in hatred. The death, in my opinion, isn't physical but death to a relationship.

In the last two lines the author is glad to see them gone. They are no longer a problem to them now.

quote:

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Is it about how hate forgiven frees us?

About how hate fostered condemns us?

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Yes

quote:

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Or about how if we plant the seeds that our enemies will take the poisoned fruit and allow us an opportunity?

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Yes

The question I have is did his decision determine the friend/foe role, or did the friend/foe role determine his decision?

Blake starts off with a man confessing his wrath to a friend and how that alleviates the anger between them. They forgive each other. It ends it. It doesn't allow the seed of wrath to grow. Essentially killing it.

So with the rest of the poem Blake wants to contrast that with doing the opposite, and to see where it leads. No confessing of sins. No forgiveness. Allowing the seed of wrath to grow. To nurture it. To see its fruits.

I was having trouble with "Till it bore an apple bright."
At first I thought it was an idea or plan to harm his foe.

But I'm thinking that he nurtured his wrath so much that he could no longer hide it or try to pretend anymore. He became so angry that he literally turned red. He said hateful, threatening and terrible things. He went apeshit. It was finally all out in the open. "And my foe beheld it shine."

What is the fruit of wrath? What is its end game here? To see it all the way through to the end? You have to kill. Murder.

His foe saw and heard his intentions in his apeshit outburst. He confessed his hatred to his foe's face. "And my foe beheld it shine." "And he knew that it was mine."

His foe, knowing his intentions, and who was also harboring wrath, decided to act first and entered his house at night. "And into my garden stole."

But, concealed by darkness, he got the drop on his foe, and cold cocked him with a pole. "When the night had veild the pole."

So the contrast to confessing and forgiveness is damnation.

He became wrath. A murderer. He is the poison tree.
"My foe outstretched beneath the tree."
It's the same as saying, "My foe outstretched beneath me."