CLASSICAL COLLECTION

LESSON 11: Captivating Connotations

Poem: ‘A Poison Tree’, William Blake

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:
  • What rhyme pattern has Blake used?
  • 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:

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