University: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects: English Literature: Poetry: Romanticism Coursework

"I dont entirely agree with the interpretation of the poem that is epxressed in this essay, i do however think its a fantastic alternative explanation, i think if both the veiw in this essay and the one in the other review given were to be combined in an essay and presented as being "two possible interpretations" it would make a fantastic analysis of the poem "a poison tree""

"The poem has been analysed and appreciated in easy and understandable language . "

"The writer's idea of this poem speaking from a feminine point of view about her lover is full of insight. Personally, my English Litereature teacher had intepreted it as only a friendship turned sour, and ill feelings festered, which ended in a slow, torturing death. Her moral of the poem is that when ill feelings between friends are not resolved, negative, lethal emotions will fester like a cancerous growth. Human nature doesn't know how to handle emotions effectively. There is an idea that the "apple bright" is like a bait, a trap laid by the author so successful that the deluded foe fell head-first into it. "And I water'd it in fears Night & morning with my tears" suggests that fears of her malice & hatred being discovered by her foe haunts her and angered tears vowing to repay the foe for the hurts he had inflicted upon her. "And I sunned it with smiles, and with soft deceitful wiles" implies that hyprocrisy is involved, and she is using feminine, "soft", moves which appear harmless. "Deceitful wiles" refers to her resorting to cunning tricks to get what she wants. All in all, the writer of this essay has done a good job in bringing out another side of the poem besides the theme of friendship gone wrong."