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,

Which statement best explains the meaning created by the metaphor?

The speaker thinks preserving the natural world is more important than holding a grudge.

The speaker nurtured his anger as one would nurture a tree.

The speaker's foe tried to harm his prized tree.

The speaker's anger grew bigger than a tree.