WILLIAM BLAKE

A Poison Tree & To the Evening Star

WHO WAS WILLIAM BLAKE?

William Blake was born

on November 28, 1757,

in London, England. He

was an artist and poet

and received his

education at the Royal

Academy of Art’s Schools

of Design. He died on

August 12, 1827, in

London, England.

WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT HIM?

William Blake is an influential

figure from the Romantic Age. His

paintings and writings have inspired

uncountable people throughout the

ages.

“I am under the direction of messengers from Heaven daily and nightly.”

-William Blake

WILLIAM BLAKE ARTWORK

A Vision of the Last Judgement

The Ancient of Days

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 watered it in

fears,Night and morning with my

tears;And I sunnèd 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 seeMy foe

outstretched beneath the tree.

Anger & Hatred

Enemies

Deception

The poem compares man

to a poison tree. The ‘tree’

fills us with emotions such

as anger and hate.

The poem has a rhyme

scheme of AABB.

It uses imagery.

Is an Iambic

Tetrameter and Trochaic

Trimeter.

A POISON TREE

Symbols Other

TO THE EVENING STAR

Thou fair-hair'd angel of the

evening,Now, whilst the sun rests on

the mountains, lightThy bright torch

of love; thy radiant crownPut on, and

smile upon our evening bed!Smile on

our loves, and while thou drawest

theBlue curtains of the sky, scatter

thy silver dewOn every flower that

shuts its sweet eyesIn timely sleep.

Let thy west wind sleep onThe lake;

speak silence with thy glimmering

eyes,And wash the dusk with silver.

Soon, full soon,Dost thou withdraw;

then the wolf rages wide,And then

the lion glares through the dun

forest:The fleeces of our flocks are

cover'd withThy sacred dew: protect

them with thine influence!

Sexual

Desire

Love

Power

There is not

much of a rhyme

scheme in this

poem.

The poem is

similar to and

iambic

pentameter.

TO THE EVENING STAR

Symbols Other

WORKS CITED

http://

www.poetry-archive.com/b/to_the_evening_star.htm

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http://

www.biography.com/people/william-blake-9214491

http://

www.shmoop.com/poison-tree/symbolism-imagery.ht

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http://

www.poetry-archive.com/b/a_poison_tree.html