Poison Tree by William Blake

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 watered 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.

By William Blake
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A Poison Tree Notes ...

This lyric is a subtle product of the voice of experience, using the figure of the poison tree as a vehicle for describing the psychological states of transferred hatred and anger. In an earlier draft of the poem the speaker gives the fruit of his anger to his foe, whereas here the foe is attracted to the apple because he knows it belongs to the speaker. Critical speculation surrounds the interpretation of both tree and apple in this poem: the most obvious association is with the apple on the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden, leading to identification of the speaker as the jealous God of creation. Clearly the poem raises issues of the tone and attitude of the speaker. Is he full of self-congratulation at the death of his foe? Can the poem be read as simply a warning over the dangers of repressed anger, for where is the remorse over the foe's death or the speaker's conscience?
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Buddha Quotes Concerning With Anger ...

"You will not be purnished for your anger,
you will be purnished by your anger "

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else;
you are the one who gets burned."