CLASSICAL COLLECTION
LESSON 11: Captivating Connotations
Poem: ‘A Poison Tree’, William Blake
Framework Objectives:
Learning Objective:
Year 9, Word 7 Recognise layers of
meaning in the writer’s choice of words,
e.g. connotation, implied meaning,
different types or multiple meanings
To understand Blake’s meanings in ‘A
Poison Tree’, and how he uses
connotation to convey them
Year 9, Reading 11 Analyse how an
author’s standpoint can affect meaning in
non-literary as well as literary texts
Resources and lesson preparation
Worksheet 27: Missing words
OHT 28: Captivating Connotations
Copies of ‘A Poison Tree’
Starter



Give pupils a copy of Worksheet 27: Missing words.
In pairs, pupils should read through the poem and suggest words to go in the blank spaces.
Alternatively, students can complete ICT Activity 1.
Introduction

Project a complete version of the poem on the board so that pupils can compare their version with
Blake’s original. Read through the poem with pupils and discuss the following:
o What rhyme pattern has Blake used?
o What point do you think Blake is trying to make?

Pupils should be able to deduce that the poem is about what happens when you don’t deal with
anger, but let it fester and grow.
Development

Introduce the idea of connotation using OHT 28: Captivating Connotations. Make sure pupils
understand the meaning of the term. Discuss with pupils the connotations that Blake has used in his
poem, for example, the connotations of the word ‘apple’ (temptation, the Garden of Eden etc.).

Pupils are now going to use their knowledge of connotation to write their own poem. They could
begin by choosing a colour and considering the connotations associated with that colour as a basis
for their own poem. They should not mention explicitly the key idea of their poem: for example, if
green was chosen to explore jealousy, then the word jealousy should not feature in the poem.

Less able pupils could work in pairs to generate ways of describing a feeling which they could then
use to create a poem.
Plenary
Ask some pupils to read out their connotation poems. Others in the class need to work out what the poem
is about, based on the imagery and connotations used in the poem.
Teachit KS3 Interactive Pack © HarperCollins Publishers and Teachit (UK) Ltd 2008. This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom
WORKSHEET 27:
Missing Words
Read the following poem by William Blake. What do you think the missing words might
be? Fill in the gaps with your suggestions.
A _________ Tree
I was _______ with my friend:
I told my _______, my _______ did end.
I was angry with my _______:
I told it not, my _________ did grow.
And I _________ it in fears,
Night and morning with my ________:
And I _________ it with smiles,
And with soft __________ wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an ________ bright.
And my ______ beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine.
And into my garden ________,
When the night had veil’d the pole;
In the morning _______ I see,
My ______ outstretch’d beneath the tree.
Teachit KS3 Interactive Pack © HarperCollins Publishers and Teachit (UK) Ltd 2008. This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom
OHT 28:
Captivating Connotations
Connotations
A connotation is an idea or image that is associated with a word or a thing.
This is different from a word’s literal meaning, or denotation.
For example, there are certain connotations associated with particular
colours.
green
jealousy
red
danger
white
innocence and purity
Some companies use connotations to sell their products:
Magnum ice cream: the word magnum is normally used to
describe an enormous bottle of champagne, twice the size of a
normal bottle. Therefore, the connotations of the name suggest
the ice cream is also high-class, exclusive, large and luxurious.
Blake has used connotations in his poem ‘A Poison Tree’. What ideas do
you associate with these words from the poem?
poison
apple
Teachit KS3 Interactive Pack © HarperCollins Publishers and Teachit (UK) Ltd 2008. This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom
OHT
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 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 outstretched beneath the tree.
Teachit KS3 Interactive Pack © HarperCollins Publishers and Teachit (UK) Ltd 2008. This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom