Question

i told it not, my wrath did grow.
and i waterd it in fears,
night & 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 veild the pole;
in the morning glad i see,
my foe outstretched beneath the tree.

in the poem, the tree visually represents an idea. this is an example of which poetic device?

• alliteration
• meter
• slant rhyme
• symbol

Explanation:

A symbol is a poetic device where an object (here, the tree) represents a broader abstract idea—here, the speaker's unspoken wrath. Alliteration is repeated initial consonant sounds, meter is rhythmic structure, and slant rhyme is imperfect rhyme, none of which match the description of the tree representing an idea.

Answer:

Symbol