William Blake and Two of His Poems

1. WILLIAM BLAKE
A Poison Tree & To the Evening Star

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. “I am under the
direction of
messengers from
Heaven daily and
nightly.”
-William Blake

5. WILLIAM BLAKE ARTWORK
A Vision of the Last Judgement The Ancient of Days

6. 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.

7.  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

8. 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!

9. 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

10. WORKS CITED
 http://www.poetry-archive.com/b/to_the_evening_star.html
 http://www.biography.com/people/william-blake-9214491
 http://www.shmoop.com/poison-tree/symbolism-imagery.html
 http://www.poetry-archive.com/b/a_poison_tree.html