Anger and wrath are closely related, but they do not mean the same thing, nor are they equivalent emotions. The dictionary defines anger as "a strong feeling of displeasure." Anger is actually quite normal. It's normal to feel angry when a person wrongs you or when you feel that something unfair has happened. Wrath on the other hand, is an extreme form of anger. Unlike anger, wrath is not normal and certainly not healthy, because wrath is a destructive and vindictive form of anger. Wrath usually leads a person toward some kind of destructive behavior toward another person. In fact, wrath is so extreme and hurtful that the Christian religion has marked it as one of the seven deadly sins, because it usually overrides existing moral boundaries.
In the poem "A Poison Tree," the speaker lets his anger turn into wrath. He holds on to and harbors large amounts of anger toward his friend until it becomes wrath. At that point, the speaker plots and kills his friend. The wrath (extreme anger) overrode his moral compass and caused him to commit a vengeful and vindictive act. Anger doesn't do that. Wrath does.
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