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Stanza One
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Line no.
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Line
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Interpretation
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1
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I was
angry with my friend:
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The persona was angry
with his friend.
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2
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I told my
wrath, my wrath did end.
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When he told his friend
about it, his anger disappeared.
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3
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I was
angry with my foe:
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He was once angry with
his enemy
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4
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I told it
not, my wrath did grow.
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But the persona did not
talk about his anger, so his anger got bigger and bigger. (The feeling became
worse).
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Stanza Two
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Line no.
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Line
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Interpretation
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1
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And I
watered it in fears,
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The persona treated his
anger very much like a plant. (A plant needs water and sun in order to grow).He
developed his anger more with his fears.
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2
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Night and
morning with my tears;
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The
anger got worse when he cried almost night and day
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3
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And I
sunned it with smiles,
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The
persona topped up his anger with fake smiles (pretending to be happy in front
of his enemy)
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4
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And with
soft deceitful wiles.
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And he
added deceit and tricks, maybe he was planning something mischievous or bad.
So, the
persona’s anger was growing bigger and stronger (just like a growing tree).
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Stanza Three
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Line no.
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Line
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Interpretation
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1
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And it
grew both day and night,
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Because of the persona's
efforts, his “tree of anger” eventually bore a bright and delicious apple.
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2
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Till it
bore an apple bright.
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3
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And my
foe beheld it shine.
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His
enemy saw the shiny apple (the fruit of the persona’s anger)
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4
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And he knew that it was mine.
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And knew
that the apple tree belonged to the persona.
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Stanza Four
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Line no.
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Line
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Interpretation
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1
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And into
my garden stole
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The enemy secretly sneaked
into the persona’s garden, like a thief.
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2
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When the
night had veiled the pole;
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He went
into the garden at night when it was extremely dark to steal/eat the apple
("the
pole” possibly refers to the pole star, also known as the North star or
Polaris. It is a very bright star and it stays fixed in the sky, which is
normally used in navigating folks safely through danger.)
But this star was not visible.
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3
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In the
morning glad I see
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In the
morning, the persona sees (maybe with a happy feeling)
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4
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My foe
outstretched beneath the tree.
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His
enemy is lying under the tree (dead/unconscious after eating the poison apple
– the fruit that was poisoned with the persona’s anger).
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Poem A Poison Tree (Form 5) : Meaning
