Comparing A Poison Tree 'And Enemies By Tim O' Brien

The Interlopers by Saki and Poison Tree by William Blake are both very similar in how they show how grudges should not be held onto. In both of these stories, people die because of their selfish and unreasonable grudges. In “Poison Tree” and in “The Interlopers” two grudges end. In “Poison Tree” It states “I was angry with a friend: I told my wrath; my wrath did end.”

Conflict in The Cask of Amontillado and A Poison Tree also reveals the theme that suppressed anger can sometimes lead to revenge which can result in explosive violence. The man vs. man conflicts in both of the writings are examples of revenge fueled violence.

O’Brien uses imagery to enhance the story. Several examples of imagery are found in the chapter. One example is “To the north and west the country rose up in thick walls of wilderness, triple-canopied jungle, mountains unfolding into higher mountain…” (87). This quote gives the reader a vivid image of Vietnam and it’s natural beauty. Another example is “ The place was never mortared, never taken under fire…” (88) in which describes the military compound. O’Brien also uses imagery to describe looks and expressions of characters. An example of this is “Even with the cooling night air Fossie’s face was slick with sweat. He looked sick. His eyes were blood shot…” (103).

Vengeance is monster, a monster that can grasp you and bring you to the depths of your soul; it can control you like no one else can. Vengeance has grasped characters as well, characters like the sadistic Montresor, and an utterly conflicted man. Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “A Cask of Amontillado” depicts a murderer, a vengeful soul, and a sadist, this man is Montresor. Montresor decides to seek revenge for an inexcusable act of insult from his dear friend, by trapping him deep inside the catacombs, with no one to hear. Similar to Poe’s short story, “A Poison Tree” from William Blake displayed a conflicted man who is happy, sad, and finally angry. Once his anger overtakes him he decides to please his instinct and murder the foe he was

times in the poem, by doing so, Blake is able to let the reader take

O’Brien uses word choice and informal diction to convey the feelings of monotony and tragedy to give the story authenticity.

The use of imagery allows the reader to picture the long-lasting emotions gripping the narrator. Being a concrete representation of an object or sensory experience (myLearning), imagery permits the reader to visualize what the narrator is experiencing. One example of imagery is used in line 5 “I'm stone. I'm flesh.” The narrator is using metaphoric and literal imagery describing his body. The reader can visualize the attempt to harden the body against the onslaught of emotion, and the reflection of the vulnerable flesh body in the granite wall. Another example of imagery can be found in lines 22 through 24 “Brushstrokes flash, a red bird's / wings cutting across my stare. / The sky. A plane in the sky." Here the realistic memories of war involuntarily flash through the narrator’s mind.

It is evident from the first that O'Brien is writing about himself. It is difficult to confuse since he uses his own name, his own place of birth and other true details of his own life to form the narrator of the stories. The truth of the stories is a grounds for understanding the credibility of the author. He is trying to make the reader understand that these are not just random stories that he dreamed up while sitting in front of a type writer or

Writing from different viewpoints allows the author, Tim O’Brien, to express himself in a more comfortable manner. Written in this viewpoint, the story is read as a tale instead of an autobiography and the author becomes more distant with the story like he is looking into it rather than writing it.

Langston Hughes also uses characterization in this poem. The poem is a narrative on a specific character. Hughes describes in detail the background and interests. As soon as he leaves the classroom he starts thinking about his assignment and what he is going to write. This speaks to the characters drive and strive for his education. His race is also his struggle that allowed him to move to the north. Hughes shares what he loves to do, what he is passionate about, his knowledge, and his choice of music. His identity is clear and never questioned. Hughes knows who he is and what he is capable of accomplishing.

Another tool in developing the effectiveness of the poem is the use of compelling figurative language in the poem helps to reveal the reality of war. In the first line, the metaphor, ?Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,?(1) shows us that the troops are so tired that they can be compared to old beggars. Also, the simile "coughing like hags"(2) helps to depict the soldiers? poor health and depressed state of mind. Owen makes us picture the soldiers as ill, disturbed and utterly exhausted Another great use of simile, ?His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin,?(20) suggests that his face is probably covered with blood which is the color symbolizing the devil. A very powerful metaphor is the comparison of painful experiences of the troops to ??vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues.?(24) This metaphor emphasizes that the troops will never forget these horrific experiences. As you can see, Owen has used figurative language so effectively that the reader gets drawn into the poem.

The short story is written in a colloquial tone and reads similarly to an unfocused train of thought, conveying simplicity and realism within the piece. The narrator frequently drifts from a complete statement to an aside throughout the narrative; for example, while discussing the poem his wife composed about her friend Robert he offhandedly recalls, “...I didn’t think much of the poem. Of course, I didn’t tell her that. Maybe I just don’t understand poetry,” (Carver 356). This passage, and others similar to it, cause the flow of the plot to meander, rather than adhere to a strict linear format. Additionally, while the abrupt and nonchalant remarks hold little substance to the narrator, they give the reader a window to the substantial disconnect between the narrator and his peers.

William Blake was a painter, engraver and poet of the Romantic era, who lived and worked in London. Many of Blake’s famous poems reside in his published collection of poems titled Songs of Innocence and of Experience. This collection portrays the two different states of the human soul, good and evil. Many poems in the Songs of Innocence have a counterpart poem in the Songs of Experience. The poem “A Poison Tree” is found in the Songs of Experience and it delves into the mind of man tainted with sin and corruption that comes with experience. In a simple and creative style, the religious theology of the Fall of Man is brought to life. The poem tells the story of how man fell from a state of innocence to impurity, focusing on the harmful repercussions of suppressed anger. Blake utilities many literary devices to successfully characterizes anger as an antagonist with taunting power.

The poem continues, "And Jealousy a Human Face." Cruelty can be a product of jealousy. Jealousy is the driving force behind acts of violence in countless poetry and prose prior to and beyond Blake's writings. A good example comes from Pope's The Rape of the Lock. The Baron cut Belinda's hair out of desire for her, but Clarissa helped him complete the cruel task by providing the scissors. She did so out of jealousy because she was in love with the Baron.

Are you safe? You may never know. In the texts “The Cask Of Amantiatio” by Edgar Allen Poe and “A Poison Tree” by William Blake, They show that revenge can come as a shock because sometimes appearance hides reality. There are two literary devices in these passages that strongly represent the texts, they are conflict and setting because they are actively expressed throughout both the texts many times. In the texts Poe and Blake use conflict and setting to show that revenge can come as a shock because sometimes appearance hides reality.