metaphors of anger

Anger equals dynamite metaphor highlights the aspect that anger can explode into violent action. Another aspect is that if anger builds up it produces more violent actions later. Anger, like dynamite is hidden within the properties of itself. No one but the person enraged may know that that person will let all that emotion out at once. William’s poem A Poison Tree points out new metaphor anger equals a poisonous 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.”
Anger that is stored up without being let out can be very dangerous. If someone is angry at a friend communication will ‘diffuse’ the anger. But towards a foe, anger will not be talked out and will continue to grow like a tree. The tree metaphor goes further with these words in the next stanza. “And I waterd it in fears, Night & morning with my tears” Continued thought about the situation that caused the person to get angry will let the anger flourish like water helps a tree grow. Then the tree produces a fruit obviously poisonous considering the title of the poem. The interesting aspect of William’s poem is that the foe, probably as angry as the narrator, took the fruit and ate it out of spite towards the narrator. Then the expected happens with the foe falling dead underneath the tree. Anger’s tree poisoned the foe because the more pervasive the angry thoughts enter the narrator’s mind the bigger the tree gets until it bears fruits (violent action) and causes great harm to the person.
If this anger equals poisonous tree metaphor was in use in ordinary language we might say phrases like this: “I’d like to give a fruit to Andy right now, he makes me so mad.” “That’s it, Kelly you should eat one of my fruits.” “My tree is about to bear fruit with you mister.”