Samacheer Kalvi Class 9 English Solutions Poem 2 A Poison Tree

9th English Guide A Poison Tree Textbook Questions And Answers

A. Answer The Following Questions In A Sentence Or Two.

1. I was angry with my friend
I told my wrath my wrath did end.

Question (a). Who does T refer to?
Answer: The pronoun 'I' in the poem refers to the Poet. The poet is expressing their own feelings and experiences in the verse.
In simple words: 'I' means the poet who wrote the poem.

🎯 Exam Tip: In poetry, 'I' often refers to the speaker or poet unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, showing who is talking.

Question (b). How did the anger of the poet come to an end?
Answer: The poet's anger ended when they talked about it openly with their friend. Sharing feelings can help resolve conflicts.
In simple words: The poet's anger stopped when he told his friend why he was angry.

🎯 Exam Tip: Expressing anger respectfully can often prevent it from growing and causing more problems.

2. And I watered it in fears
Night and morning with my tears;

Question (a). What does 'it' refer to?
Answer: In this line, 'it' refers to the seed of wrath, meaning the poet's hidden anger. This anger is metaphorically watered to grow.
In simple words: 'It' means the anger that the poet kept inside like a seed.

🎯 Exam Tip: When identifying what a pronoun like 'it' refers to, look at the context in the lines directly before it.

Question (b). How is 'it' watered?
Answer: The 'it' (the poet's hidden anger) is watered with tears, symbolizing the poet's sadness, worry, and inner pain. These strong emotions feed the anger.
In simple words: The hidden anger is made stronger by the poet's tears and fears.

🎯 Exam Tip: Tears often symbolize deep emotions like sorrow or frustration, which can make negative feelings like anger even stronger.

3. In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree

Question (a). How did the poet feel in the morning?
Answer: The poet felt glad and happy in the morning to see their enemy lying dead under the tree. This shows the dangerous outcome of suppressed anger.
In simple words: The poet felt happy to see their enemy dead under the tree.

🎯 Exam Tip: Note how the poem highlights the extreme and dark consequences of unresolved hatred, contrasting with the initial feeling.

Question (b). Who is the 'foe' referred to here?
Answer: The 'foe' referred to here is Satan, who represents the embodiment of evil and temptation. This suggests that the enemy was lured by something deceitful.
In simple words: The 'foe' is Satan, which means the enemy of all people.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identifying the symbolic meaning of characters like 'foe' is crucial for understanding the poem's deeper message.

Question (c). Why was the 'foe' found lying outstretched beneath the tree?
Answer: The foe was found lying outstretched beneath the tree because he was dead. He had eaten the poisonous apple, which was the fruit of the poet's hidden anger.
In simple words: The foe was dead because he ate the poisonous apple from the tree of anger.

🎯 Exam Tip: The 'poisonous apple' here symbolizes the destructive power of unexpressed and nurtured anger.

4. And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.

Question (a). Who does 'it' refer to?
Answer: The pronoun 'it' refers to the tree that grew from the poet's hidden anger. This tree symbolizes the growing wrath.
In simple words: 'It' means the tree that grew bigger and stronger.

🎯 Exam Tip: In this context, 'it' represents the sustained growth of the poet's internal feelings, which take on a physical form.

Question (b). What does 'apple' signify?
Answer: The 'apple' signifies wrath, which is the result of the poet's hidden and nurtured anger. This bright, tempting apple eventually leads to harm.
In simple words: The 'apple' represents the dangerous anger that grew inside the poet.

🎯 Exam Tip: The apple is a powerful symbol in literature, often representing temptation or knowledge, with dangerous consequences.

Question (c). What grew both day and night?
Answer: The tree grew both day and night. This signifies that the poet's hidden anger was constantly being fed and getting stronger over time.
In simple words: The tree, which represents the poet's anger, grew continuously day and night.

🎯 Exam Tip: The continuous growth "day and night" emphasizes the constant internal struggle and development of the poet's wrath.

Question (d). Explain the phrase; "night had veiled"
Answer: The phrase "night had veiled" means that the night had covered everything in darkness, like a veil. This created a secretive and opportune moment for the foe.
In simple words: "Night had veiled" means the night made everything dark and hidden, like a secret covering.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding figurative language like "veiled" helps to grasp the mood and hidden meanings in poetry.

Additional Questions And Answers

1. I was angry with my foe
I told it not, my wrath did grow

Question (a). Who was angry?
Answer: The poet was angry. This personal anger is the central theme explored in the poem.
In simple words: The poet was the one who felt angry.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always identify the main character's emotions when they are explicitly stated in the poem.

Question (b). Who was the Poet angry with?
Answer: The poet was angry with their enemy, also referred to as a 'foe'. This anger was kept hidden, unlike anger towards a friend.
In simple words: The poet was angry with his enemy, or 'foe'.

🎯 Exam Tip: Distinguish between anger towards a friend and anger towards an enemy, as the poem shows different outcomes for each.

Question (c). What was the effect for not telling the wrath?
Answer: The effect of not telling the wrath was that the anger started growing and becoming stronger. Suppressing feelings can often intensify them.
In simple words: Because the poet did not tell his anger, it began to grow bigger and stronger.

🎯 Exam Tip: The poem teaches that unexpressed anger can become destructive, like a plant growing out of control.

Question (d). What is the antonym of 'wrath'?
Answer: The antonym of 'wrath' is calm or pleasure. Wrath means intense anger, so its opposite would be a state of peace or happiness.
In simple words: The opposite of 'wrath' (which is anger) is being calm or feeling happy.

🎯 Exam Tip: Knowing synonyms and antonyms for key words in a poem helps in understanding its themes and messages.

2. And I sunned it with smiles
And with soft deceitful wiles.

Question (a). How did the Poet sun the tree?
Answer: The poet 'sunned' the tree with smiles and soft deceitful wiles, meaning they pretended to be friendly and used cunning tricks. This fake kindness helped the anger-tree grow.
In simple words: The poet acted friendly and used clever tricks to make the tree (his anger) grow.

🎯 Exam Tip: The action of "sunning" the tree with smiles is a metaphor for nurturing hidden hostility with false pleasantries.

Question (b). What is meant by 'deceitful wiles'?
Answer: 'Deceitful wiles' means cunning tricks or dishonest ways used to trick someone. The poet used these to hide their true anger.
In simple words: 'Deceitful wiles' means sly or tricky ways to fool someone.

🎯 Exam Tip: Words like 'deceitful' highlight the dishonest nature of the poet's actions towards their enemy.

3. And my foe beheld it shine
And he knew it was mine.

Question (a). Who beheld it shine?
Answer: The poet's foe, or enemy, beheld the apple shining on the tree. The brightness of the apple made it very tempting to the foe.
In simple words: The poet's enemy saw the shiny apple on the tree.

🎯 Exam Tip: The shining apple represents something attractive but ultimately dangerous, luring the enemy with its false appearance.

Question (b). What does 'foe' refer to?
Answer: 'Foe' refers to Satan, which symbolizes the enemy of mankind and a tempter. This indicates the destructive power of the poisoned apple.
In simple words: 'Foe' here means Satan, representing someone who is an enemy to all people.

🎯 Exam Tip: The reference to Satan emphasizes the moral and spiritual implications of nurturing anger and deceit.

Question (c). What did the enemy know about the fruit?
Answer: The enemy knew that the fruit belonged to the poet. Despite knowing this, the foe still desired it and eventually took it.
In simple words: The enemy knew that the apple was the poet's.

🎯 Exam Tip: The enemy's knowledge of the fruit's ownership adds to the theme of deliberate temptation and transgression.

4. And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole

Question (a). Where did the enemy steal?
Answer: The enemy stole into the poet's garden. This garden is where the tree of anger, bearing the poisonous apple, was growing.
In simple words: The enemy secretly entered the poet's garden.

🎯 Exam Tip: The garden can be seen as a metaphor for the poet's inner world or personal space, which the enemy invades.

Question (b). What did the enemy steal?
Answer: The enemy stole the apple from the tree in the garden. This apple symbolizes the fruit of the poet's nurtured wrath.
In simple words: The enemy took the apple without permission.

🎯 Exam Tip: The act of stealing the apple highlights the enemy's greed and willingness to take what is not theirs.

Question (c). When did he steal the fruit?
Answer: He stole the fruit when the night had covered the pole, meaning under the cover of darkness. Night provides secrecy for hidden actions.
In simple words: He stole the apple during the night when it was dark.

🎯 Exam Tip: The timing of the theft at night emphasizes the clandestine and deceitful nature of the enemy's actions.

Question (d). What is meant by 'the pole'?
Answer: In this context, 'the pole' means either the north or south pole of the Earth, symbolizing the entire world. The phrase "night had veiled the pole" suggests deep, widespread darkness.
In simple words: 'The pole' means the North or South Pole, showing that darkness covered the whole world.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding such poetic expressions helps to grasp the vastness or completeness of the described condition, in this case, darkness.

B. Complete The Summary By Filling In The Given Spaces With Suitable Words.

Once the poet was angry with his friend. He expressed his (1) .......... and it ended. They became friendly but when he grew angry with his foe, he (2) .......... it and allowed his anger to grow. Day and night he watered it with his tears allowing it to grow. He (3) .......... his foe with false smiles and cunning tricks. The tree kept growing and yielded a bright apple which (4) .......... his foe to eating it stealthily during the night. The next morning the poet was happy to see his foe lying (5) .......... under the tree.

Answer:
1. wrath or anger
2. did not tell
3. sunned
4. beheld
5. outstretched
In simple words: The blanks are filled with words that show how the poet's anger grew and led to the enemy's downfall, describing the process of nurturing wrath.

🎯 Exam Tip: When completing summaries, ensure the chosen words fit the context of the poem's narrative and themes perfectly.

C. Answer The Following Questions In About 80-100 Words

Question 1. How did the poet's anger with his friend end?
Answer: The poet's anger with a friend ended because he chose to express it openly and talk about his feelings. He sorted out their differences by discussing his point of view with his friend. Even if he felt hurt, he tried his best to forgive and forget the past. By doing this, the feeling of revenge in his heart ended, and his anger with his friend came to an end. This shows that open communication can heal friendships.
OR
The poet was angry with both a friend and an enemy. With his friend, he explained why he was angry. They worked through it and strengthened their friendship. The anger vanished quickly, proving that love can overcome enmity. The poem advises "Love Your enemies."
In simple words: The poet ended his anger with his friend by talking about it and forgiving him. He chose to resolve the conflict instead of letting it grow.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight the contrast between resolving conflict with a friend (through communication) and nurturing anger against a foe (leading to destructive outcomes).

Question 2. Describe how his anger kept, growing.
Answer:
Poem: A Poison Tree
Author: William Blake
Theme: Grow love but not enmity
Character: Poet, his friend, and enemy, tree
The poet was very careful not to tell his enemy about his anger. Instead, he allowed his anger to grow, watering it regularly with tears and fears, much like tending to a tree. This anger-tree blossomed and began to bear a bright, poisonous fruit. The poet pretended to be friendly, but he nurtured this tree of wrath with false love and deceitful smiles. This constant nurturing allowed his anger to grow silently and robustly. This internal suppression intensified his hostile feelings over time.
OR
The poet describes being angry with his enemy but not telling him. This hidden anger grew bigger and bigger, like a seed that was watered regularly with fear and tears until it sprouted and grew into a tree. The poet acted friendly towards his enemy, but this fake kindness, like sunshine, actually helped his anger grow internally. His behavior seemed attractive, but inside, his anger was constantly getting stronger. The message is to "Never grow enmity but love."
In simple words: The poet's anger grew because he kept it secret from his enemy. He fed it with his worries and false smiles, making it grow like a poisonous tree until it bore fruit.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to describe growth of anger, explain the metaphors used (watering with tears, sunning with smiles) and connect them to the outcome of hidden wrath.

Question 3. Describe the effect of the poisonous fruit on the 'enemy'.
Answer: When the poet hid his anger from his enemy, this anger grew into a tree that bore a bright, poisonous apple. The enemy, seeing this attractive apple, wanted to have it, even knowing it belonged to the poet. So, secretly, under the cover of night, the enemy came into the garden and ate the apple. In the morning, the poet was glad to find the enemy lying dead and outstretched under the poison tree. The apple, representing the poisonous effect of the poet's hidden wrath, caused the enemy's death. This highlights the destructive power of unresolved anger and deceit.
OR
The wrath of the poet turned into a real tree that bore a very bright and tempting apple. The enemy found this apple attractive and decided to taste it secretly in the dark night. Eating this poisonous fruit led to the enemy's death. This means the poisonous fruit, born from the poet's hidden anger, killed the enemy and made the poet happy. The underlying message is "Destroy enmity but not enemies."
In simple words: The poisonous apple, which was the poet's hidden anger, caused the enemy to die. The enemy ate the fruit and was found dead under the tree in the morning.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the cause-and-effect relationship between the nurtured anger (poisonous fruit) and the enemy's demise to score well.

Poem Appreciation:

D. Figures Of Speech:

There is alliteration in the line : And I sunned it with smiles. The sound /s/ is repeated in the words 'sunned' and 'smiles'. Pick out at least two instances of alliteration from the poem.

Question 1. Pick out the alliterated words from the line: 'I was angry with my foe'.
Answer: The words 'was' and 'with' are alliterated. The sound /w/ is repeated here.
In simple words: The words 'was' and 'with' sound similar at the beginning.

🎯 Exam Tip: Alliteration involves the repetition of initial consonant sounds in words that are close together.

Question 2. Pick out the alliterated words from the line: 'Till it bore an apple bright'.
Answer: The words 'bore' and 'bright' are in alliteration. The sound /b/ is repeated here.
In simple words: 'Bore' and 'bright' start with the same sound.

🎯 Exam Tip: Listen carefully for the starting sounds of words to correctly identify alliteration in a line of poetry.

Question 3. Pick out the alliterated words from the line: 'Night and morning with my tears'.
Answer: The words 'morning' and 'my' are in alliteration. The sound /m/ is repeated here.
In simple words: 'Morning' and 'my' have the same starting sound.

🎯 Exam Tip: Practice reading the lines aloud to help you hear and identify alliterative sounds more easily.

Question 4. Pick out the alliterated words from the line: 'And with soft deceitful wiles'.
Answer: The words 'with' and 'wiles' are in alliteration. The sound /w/ is repeated here.
In simple words: 'With' and 'wiles' start with the same sound.

🎯 Exam Tip: Don't confuse alliteration with other sound devices like assonance (vowel repetition) or consonance (consonant repetition anywhere in the word).

E. Read The Following Lines From The Poem And Answer The Questions That Follow.

1. 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.

Question 1. Pick out the rhyming words from the poem lines.
Answer: The rhyming words are "friend" and "end", and "foe" and "grow". These pairs create the poem's rhyme scheme.
In simple words: "Friend" rhymes with "end", and "foe" rhymes with "grow".

🎯 Exam Tip: Rhyming words are usually found at the end of lines and have similar ending sounds.

Question 2. What is the rhyme scheme of the stanza?
Answer: The rhyme scheme of this stanza is "aabb". Each pair of consecutive lines rhyme with each other.
In simple words: The lines rhyme in pairs, making the pattern "aabb".

🎯 Exam Tip: To identify the rhyme scheme, assign a letter to each new end sound, starting with 'a'.

Question 3. Identify the figure of speech in the title of the poem.
Answer: The figure of speech in the title "A Poison Tree" is a "metaphor". The tree is used as a direct comparison for the poet's growing anger.
In simple words: The title uses a metaphor because it compares anger to a poisonous tree without using 'like' or 'as'.

🎯 Exam Tip: A metaphor directly compares two unlike things, implying that one *is* the other, to create a stronger image.

2. And I watered it in fears
Night and morning with my tears.

Question 1. What figure of speech is used in 'watered it in fears'?
Answer: The figure of speech used in 'watered it in fears' is a 'metaphor'. It compares the act of nurturing anger to watering a plant with tears.
In simple words: It is a metaphor, comparing watering a plant to feeding anger with tears.

🎯 Exam Tip: When abstract concepts (like fear) are given physical actions (like watering), it often indicates a metaphor or personification.

Additional Questions & Answers

1. And I watered it in fears
Night and morning with my tears
And I sunned it with smiles
And with soft deceitful wiles

Question 1. What are the rhyming words in this stanza?
Answer: The rhyming words are fears, tears; and smiles, wiles. These pairs create the musicality of the stanza.
In simple words: "Fears" rhymes with "tears", and "smiles" rhymes with "wiles".

🎯 Exam Tip: Identifying rhyming pairs helps to understand the poem's structure and how its ideas are linked.

Question 2. What is the rhyme scheme used in this stanza.
Answer: The rhyme scheme used in this stanza is "aabb". The first two lines rhyme, and the next two lines rhyme.
In simple words: The stanza follows an "aabb" rhyme pattern, meaning lines 1&2 rhyme, and lines 3&4 rhyme.

🎯 Exam Tip: Rhyme scheme analysis is a key part of poetic appreciation, revealing the poem's structure and flow.

Question 3. Pick out the alliterated words in this stanza.
Answer:
(a) The words in alliteration in the second line are 'morning' and 'my' (sound /m/).
(b) The words in alliteration in the third line are 'sunned' and 'smiles' (sound /s/).
(c) The words in alliteration in the fourth line are 'with' and 'wiles' (sound /w/).
In simple words: The words 'morning' and 'my', 'sunned' and 'smiles', and 'with' and 'wiles' all show alliteration because of their repeated starting sounds.

🎯 Exam Tip: Alliteration adds emphasis and musicality to poetry, so noticing it enhances your understanding of the poem's craft.

Listening:

F. Listen To Your Teacher Reading Out The Tips On Anger Management. The Recording Can Be Played More Than Once If Needed.

Answer:
1. c. to calm your inner self.
2. e. who always tells you how to act.
3. b. to know how to handle it is a virtue.
4. a. who will take care of the reason why you got angry?
5. d. speak to your self and calm yourself.
In simple words: These matches show how different anger management tips connect to specific actions, like meditating to calm down or speaking to yourself to understand your feelings.

🎯 Exam Tip: For matching questions, carefully read both columns and look for logical connections between the statements and options.

G. Answer The Following In About 80-100 Words. Take Ideas From The Poem And Also Use Your Own Ideas.

Question 1. Recall a recent situation when you became angry. What were the consequences of your anger? After listening to the guidelines on anger management, find out how well you could have handled the situation. Write your findings.
Answer: "When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out - because that's what is inside. When you are squeezed, what comes out is what is inside." - Wayne Dyer. I remember an incident involving my supervisor. She had reacted poorly to a situation, and I felt angry about it. The consequence was that I kept my anger inside, making me feel unhappy and creating a negative atmosphere between us. After learning about anger management, I realize I could have handled it better. Instead of suppressing my anger, I should have calmly expressed my feelings and concerns to my supervisor. Open communication and taking a moment to breathe could have prevented the negative feelings from growing, leading to a more positive outcome. Talking about it would have helped to resolve the issue more effectively.
In simple words: I remembered getting angry with my supervisor and keeping it inside, which made me unhappy. Learning about anger management showed me I should have talked about my feelings calmly instead of holding them in, to fix the problem.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing personal reflections, clearly state the situation, the impact of your actions, and how new knowledge would change your approach.

Question 2. What might have caused the conflict which led to the poet becoming angry with his enemy? Think of one such situation that you have experienced. Describe how you felt and how the enmity grew and things became worse.
Answer: In the poem 'A Poison Tree', the poet becomes angry with an enemy, but the specific cause of this conflict is not detailed. However, conflicts often arise from jealousy, greed, pride, arrogance, disloyalty, or intolerance. For example, a conflict could start if someone felt betrayed or unfairly treated. I once experienced a situation where a classmate copied my project idea without permission, claiming it as their own. This caused a deep sense of betrayal and anger in me. I felt hurt and disrespected. Instead of confronting them, I let the anger simmer, which made me avoid them and fostered a strong dislike. This hidden resentment made our interactions very tense, and the situation only got worse because neither of us addressed the root problem directly. Enmity is a result of all these negative feelings and destroys good qualities, making people selfish and happy at others' misfortunes.
In simple words: Conflicts often start from bad feelings like jealousy or pride. I felt angry when a classmate stole my idea, but keeping my anger inside made things worse between us, just like in the poem.

🎯 Exam Tip: Relate personal experiences back to the poem's themes to show a deeper understanding of human emotions and conflict resolution.

H. Discuss and Write.

Question 1. Identify five to six qualities that make an ordinary person, loved and respected by all Work in groups of five or six. Each group has to take up one quality and discuss the methods for imbibing that quality and identify the challenges that need to be faced.
Answer: Six qualities that make an ordinary person loved and respected by everyone are:

• Politeness
• Good Listening skills
• Helpfulness
• Avoiding excuses
• Ability to adapt to changes
• Forgiveness

🎯 Exam Tip: When listing qualities, use clear and concise bullet points to make your answer easy to read and understand. Ensure each point is distinct and relevant to the question.

Question 2. Adolescents are often distracted by feelings like anger, disappointment, and general helplessness when they face challenges at school or at home. Suggest ways to turn such feelings into positive ones.
Answer: When teenagers feel angry, disappointed, or helpless due to challenges at school or home, they can try to turn these feelings into positive ones by doing the following:

• Breathe deeply and relax.
• Try to understand things from other people's perspectives.
• Practice being more aware and present.
• Use humor to make things less serious.

🎯 Exam Tip: When suggesting solutions for personal challenges, focus on practical, actionable steps. Using a list format helps organize your ideas clearly and makes them easier to follow.