Julius Caesar
"A Poison Tree"; A Lesson Plan I use the poem, "A Poison Tree". I took the poem together with some of the ideas about teaching it from the "RICH" anthology and teacher's guide; created by Dr. Ora Zohar with Arleen Eidelman, Susan Haber and Aviva Pinchuk.(Published by The Ministry of Education/Hebrew University) I would like to thank Dr. Ora Zohar for her permission to use the material.
Look at the following cartoon. (source of cartoon; unknown)
What do you see? What do you think the cartoon is trying to say?
(If you need help, look at the questions below the cartoon)
* Who do you think is in each picture? * What emotions are being expressed in each picture? * What do you notice about the size of the characters in each picture? * Which picture is very different than the others? In what say? * There are two kinds of violence shown in this cartoon - what are they? * What is the relationship between the two types of violence.
After you study the poem, "The Poison Tree", see if you can find a connection between the cartoon and the poem.
A POISON TREE (from songs of Experience -1794 ) by William Blake I was angry at a friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry at a foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow. And I water'd it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned 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 veil'd the pole:
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretch'd beneath the tree. |
Have them circle all the "it"s in the poem. (There are 7). and identify them. They will find that "it" is the wrath, but it is pictured metaphorically first as a plant, then as a tree, then as a fruit, and finally as a poisoned fruit.
Have the kids try to
Look at the following cartoon. (source of cartoon; unknown)
What do you see? What do you think the cartoon is trying to say?
(If you need help, look at the questions below the cartoon)
* Who do you think is in each picture? * What emotions are being expressed in each picture? * What do you notice about the size of the characters in each picture? * Which picture is very different than the others? In what say? * There are two kinds of violence shown in this cartoon - what are they? * What is the relationship between the two types of violence.
After you study the poem, "The Poison Tree", see if you can find a connection between the cartoon and the poem.
A POISON TREE (from songs of Experience -1794 ) by William Blake I was angry at a friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry at a foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow. And I water'd it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned 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 veil'd the pole:
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretch'd beneath the tree. |
Have them circle all the "it"s in the poem. (There are 7). and identify them. They will find that "it" is the wrath, but it is pictured metaphorically first as a plant, then as a tree, then as a fruit, and finally as a poisoned fruit.
Have the kids try to