"A Poison Tree"

 What is the rhyming scheme (pattern)?

•  Line first and fourth line rhyme. 
•  No lines rhyme 
• Each stanza contains two pairs of lines that rhymes
• The second and third line rhyme

What does line 1 through 4 tell the reader? 

• The speaker’s unwillingness to share their frustration with their enemy causes their anger to increase. 
• The speaker wishes he could share with his friend how irritated he is.
• The speaker has a difficult time speaking with people.
• The speaker has an increasing amount of furry towards their friend and enemy.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

Throughout the poem, the speaker compares his escalating anger to--

• a forest
• growing an apple tree
• plowing a field 
• building a water fountain

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.4

Which line indicates that the speaker’s wrath increased over time?

• Night & morning with my tears
• Till it bore an apple bright
• I was angry with my foe
• And it grew both day and night

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.3

What does the apple symbolize?

• The speaker’s foe’s happiness and delight
• The speaker’s passion for gardening 
• The speaker’s anger and resentment 
• The speaker’s foe’s interest and curiosity 

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.4

In the end of the poem, what happens to the speaker’s foe?

• The speaker and the foe become friends.
• The speaker finds his foe dead on the ground.
• The speaker continues to grow apple trees.
• The speakers finds his foe taking a nap beneath the apple tree. 

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
These two lines convey to the reader—

• The speaker’s way of pretending to be friendly in order to bring their enemy closer.
• How the sun makes the speaker smile.
• The speaker’s explanation for his rage.
• Why the speaker seeks revenge against his friends. 

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.4

What is the poem’s theme?

• Gardening helps people let go of anger. 
• Patience and tolerance are important to solve problems. 
• It is important to express your anger or it will only intensify and get worse. 
• Allowing anger to grow can be considered healthy.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.2