A poison tree.

Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.

In stanza 1, who are the two people the persona was angry with?
Which word has the same meaning as terrible anger?
Explain the meaning of told as portrayed in the line I told my wrath
Why was the persona able to make up with his friend after their
misunderstanding?
5. Compare the personas reaction to his misunderstanding with his friend
and later with his enemy.
6. How did the persona deal with his anger while his enemy was alive? State
two things he did.
7. How did the persona nurture his wrath?
8. What do you think the apple represents? Explain.
9. Why do you think the persona used the word deceitful to describe the
wiles?
10.The persona is angry with a friend. If you were the personas friend, what
advice would you give him or her?
11.Identify a phrase in the poem which effectively describes the silent,
cunning scheming of the persona.
12.What do you think was the personas frame of mind when he watered his
anger in fears?
13.What is the main theme portrayed by the poem?
14.How did the persona feel when he saw his enemy lying on the ground?
State the evidence.
15.Do you think what the persona did was right? Provide a reason to support
your answer.
16.In your opinion, who is the real victim in this poem-the persona or the
foe? Give a reason for your answer
17.Do you think the persona was sad about his angry feeling? Give the
evidence to support your answer.
18.What do you think the persona should have done when he had the
misunderstanding with his rival? Give two reasons.
19.What do you think the tree represents? Explain.
20.What do you think would have happened if the persona had dealt with his
anger towards his foe? Explain your answer.

Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Friend and enemy

Wrath
Dealt with/ handled / sorted something out
He could do it because it is easier to talk things over with friends, even in
danger
5. The persona talked things over with his friend while he refused to clear his
anger with his enemy
6. He did not talk about the misunderstanding and allowed it to grow inside
him by watering it with fears and tears and sunned it with insincere
smiles and tricks.
7. He watered it with fears and tears, sunned it with smiles and wiles.
8. The results of unresolved anger. The apple symbolizes the consequences
of not dealing with anger properly
9. The persona is trying to highlight that the smiles are fake and not sincere
10.I would suggest that my friend to speak honestly to the friend he or she is
angry with./ I would advise my friend to forgive this person because being
angry would only hurt him or her.
11.Soft deceitful wiles.
12.I think he was so angry and felt fearful that he could not think properly.
13.The main theme is harbouring anger and its consequences.
14.He felt relieved and happy as he stated clearly In the morning, glad I see.
15.No. The persona should not feel happy when his enemy is in trouble
because its a persons nature to sympathize the unfortunate ones (Accept
any acceptable answers)
16.I think the real victim is the foe because he is unaware of the personas
anger towards him. The foe is also not aware of the personas deceitful
wiles to trap and destroy him.
17.I think the persona did not feel sad because as he said, he was glad to
see his enemy being punished or outstretched beneath the tree.
18.He should have talked it over with his enemy.
Reason 1: It is unhealthy to harbour bad feelings until it becomes an
obsession.
Reason 2: The misunderstanding could have been the personas fault.
19.Anger that is gradually built over a certain period of time
20.The conflict between the persona and the enemy would be resolved,
because they have talked thsings over and settled their problems.