A Red Red Rose
Summary
The poem begins with the speaker comparing his love to a "red, red rose" that is newly sprung in June. This comparison sets the tone of the poem, as the red rose is a symbol of the speaker’s vibrant, fresh, and passionate love for the beloved. The use of the word "newly" emphasizes the speaker’s feelings of joy and the blossoming nature of his love, similar to the way flowers bloom in the early summer months.
In the second stanza, the speaker extends his metaphor by comparing his love to a "sweet melody," suggesting that it is not only visually beautiful like the rose but also harmoniously sweet and pleasant. The melody reflects the serenity and perfection of the love that the speaker feels. It conveys the idea that the speaker’s affection is as gentle and soothing as a song, one that fills the air with sweetness.
The speaker then goes on to promise that his love will last forever, no matter the circumstances. He says, "Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear, and the rocks melt wi' the sun," meaning that his love will endure even when the seas dry up and the rocks melt, which is a clear hyperbole that signifies an eternal commitment. The speaker’s promise is not just a fleeting declaration but one that signifies unending devotion, no matter how extreme the conditions may be. The metaphor of the sea and rocks conveys the steadfastness of his feelings, portraying love that is as enduring as nature itself.
In the final stanza, the speaker reassures the beloved that even if they have to part, their love will remain strong. He says, "I will love thee still, my dear, while the sands of life shall run," which conveys that his love will last as long as he lives. The idea of "the sands of life" refers to time running out, suggesting that even with the passage of time and the certainty of life's end, the speaker's love will never fade. This final promise reinforces the theme of eternal, unshakable love that transcends time and distance.
Character Roles in the Poem
1. **The Speaker**: The speaker is the primary character in the poem. He is deeply in love and uses nature metaphors like a red rose and a sweet melody to describe the beauty of his feelings. He promises eternal love, showing his commitment and sincerity. The speaker’s role is to express the profound depth of his emotions and the unbreakable nature of his love for the beloved.
2. **The Beloved**: Though the beloved is never described in detail, they are the object of the speaker's intense love. The beloved does not have a direct voice in the poem but is the recipient of all the promises and declarations made by the speaker. The beloved represents the idealized object of affection and is someone whose love the speaker hopes to cherish forever. Their role is central to the speaker’s expressions of devotion and longing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "A Red, Red Rose" is a beautiful and timeless expression of love. Through vivid imagery and heartfelt promises, the poem celebrates the purity, intensity, and longevity of true love. The speaker’s love is unwavering, and he pledges to remain devoted to his beloved for as long as he lives. The use of natural imagery—such as the red rose, melody, and the seas—creates a sense of eternal love, making the poem a classic symbol of romantic devotion.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. To which two things does the speaker compare his love in the first stanza?
The two things to which the speaker compares his love in the first stanza are red rose and melody (music).b. What does the speaker promise in the second and third stanzas?
The speaker promises to love his beloved until the earthly seas have become dry, rocks have melted by the heat of the sun and human life has ended in the second and third stanzas.c. What imagery does he use in his promise, and why do you think he uses such language?
He uses the imagery of dry seas, melted rocks, ended human life in the second and third stanza and an image of a long journey in the fourth stanza. I think he uses such language because his love is so deep and true for his beloved.d. In the last stanza, what event is about to happen by mentioning the number of miles?
In the last stanza, the event of reconciliation is about to happen by mentioning the number of miles.e. Which image in the poem do you find the most memorable or surprising and why?
The most memorable or surprising image I find in the poem is of the dry seas throughout the world, because the speaker’s promise is managed in a very interesting way.Reference to the context
a. What can you infer about the speaker’s devotion to his beloved from the following lines?
And I will come again, my love, Tho’ it were ten thousand mile!This beautiful promising line has been taken from Robert Burns love poem ‘ A Red, Red Rose. We find this line at the end of the fourth stanza. Here, the speaker is in deep love with his beloved. He is making a promise with his beloved by saying that no matter how long the journey is he will return to her life.
b. What is the theme of the poem?
The overriding theme of “A Red, Red Rose” is the power of love. In this poem, the speaker wishes to emphasize not just the love he has for his beloved, but the strength of that love and its power to endure in the most trying of circumstances. The speaker is so deeply in love with his “bonnie lass”—or beautiful young woman—that he pledges his love to her from now until the seas run dry.c. Paraphrase the whole poem into simple prose form.
The poem ‘A Red, Red Rose’ is the poem that describes the speaker’s deep love for his beloved and promises that this love will last longer than human life.The beloved of the speaker is as beautiful as the red rose and as sweet as the music. He wants to express that he is in deep and pure love with his beloved. The poet will love her till the seas are dried and rocks are melted by the heat of the sun. He promises to meet her even if he has to walk ten thousand mile. He expresses his true love and deep feeling towards his beloved.
d. Literary devices are tools that enable the writers to present their ideas, emotions, and feelings and also help the readers understand those more profound meanings. Analyze the poem in terms of the literary devices such as simile, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, and assonance.
The poet employs several literary devices like simile, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, and assonance to show the beauty of his beloved and the power of his love.The first literary tool used in the poem is simile. It is an expression which is used to compare an object or a person with something else to make its meaning clean to the readers. There are two similes used in this poem. They are used when the speaker compares his beloved with a red rose and sweet melody.
Symbolism is another literary device which is used to signify ideas and qualities giving them symbolic meaning. Here the poet has used ‘rose’ as a symbol of love.
Imagery is a distinct representation of something that can be understand through five senses. Robert has used visual imagery in the poem such as a red rose. There is a visual picture of a red rose in our mind when the speaker compares his beloved with a red rose. When he equates her to the sweet melody, auditory imagery is used. To convey the intensity of his affection, he then switches to hyperbolic images, by expressing that he will love her until the seas become dry and the rocks melt in the sun. We can view the world of dry seas and melted rocks in our mind.
Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as /l/ and /r/ in “O my Love is Like a red, red rose.”
Assonance is a literary device in which the repetition of vowel sounds occurs in the same line. In the line ‘And I will love thee still, my dear’, the vowel sound /i/ is repeated.
e. What is hyperbole? Explain its purpose citing examples of hyperbole used in the poem.
Hyperbole is a literary technique which is used to exaggerate a statement for the sake of emphasis. The poet has used hyperbola in the last line of the second stanza, “Till a’ the seas gang dry”. He says that his love will flow even when the seas dries up. The second one is in the third stanza where the speaker claimed, “And the rocks melt wi’ the sun”. Here, the speaker seems to be exaggerating his emotions in these lines to illustrate his desire to love her forever.f. What is refrain? Why is it used in the poem? Explain citing an example from the poem.
Refrain is a poetic device in poetry that focuses only on repeated lines at a certain distance. It is used to reinforce the main them on point of a poem. It is also used to emphasize something and to produce rhythm in the poem as well. We find a refrain here in this poem in the second, third, and fourth stanzas and they are as follows:– And I will love thee still, my dear
– Till a’ the seas gang dry
– And fare thee weel