A RED RED ROSE

 

Summary

The poem begins with the speaker passionately declaring the nature of their love. They compare their love to a "red, red rose" that has just bloomed in the month of June. This comparison suggests that their love is fresh, vibrant, and full of life. They also compare their love to a sweet melody played in perfect harmony.

The speaker then turns their attention to their beloved, describing them as fair and lovely. They are deeply in love with this person, and their affection knows no bounds.

The central theme of the poem revolves around the idea of eternal and unchanging love. The speaker vows to love their dear one until the seas run dry. This is a metaphorical way of saying that their love will never fade or diminish. They further emphasize this point by stating that they will love their dear one until the rocks melt with the heat of the sun, which is another way of saying that their love will remain constant and unwavering.

The poem continues to emphasize the everlasting nature of their love, repeating the lines "And I will love thee still, my dear" to reinforce the idea of unchanging devotion.

Towards the end of the poem, the speaker addresses their beloved, bidding them farewell for a while. However, even in this farewell, there is a promise of return. They assure their beloved that they will come back, no matter the distance, even if it were ten thousand miles.

In summary, "A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns is a love poem that celebrates the enduring and unchanging nature of love. The speaker compares their love to natural elements like a red rose, a sweet melody, and uses vivid metaphors to convey the depth of their affection. The poem concludes with a promise to return, emphasizing the eternal commitment of the speaker's love.

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. To which two things does the speaker compare his love in the first stanza?

b. What does the speaker promise in the second and third stanzas?

c. What imagery does he use in his promise, and why do you think he uses such

language?

d. In the last stanza, what event 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?

a. In the first stanza, the speaker compares his love to two things: a "red, red rose" and a sweet melody.

b. In the second and third stanzas, the speaker promises to love his beloved until certain extraordinary events occur. Specifically, he vows to love her until "a' the seas gang dry," which means until the seas (oceans) cease to exist, and until "the rocks melt wi' the sun," which signifies an extremely long time, as rocks melting with the heat of the sun is a metaphor for an almost impossible event.

c. The imagery of the seas running dry and rocks melting with the sun is intentionally hyperbolic and metaphorical. These images are used to emphasize the eternal and unchanging nature of the speaker's love. By employing such vivid and extreme imagery, the speaker conveys the idea that his love will endure indefinitely, even beyond what is physically possible.

d. In the last stanza, the event about to happen is the speaker's departure or parting from his beloved. He mentions the number of miles ("ten thousand mile") to emphasize the great distance that may separate them. Despite this vast distance, the speaker promises to return to his love.

e. One of the most memorable and surprising images in the poem is the comparison of the speaker's love to the rocks melting with the sun. This image is memorable because it is a striking and vivid metaphor that captures the idea of eternal love. It's surprising because it uses an extraordinary and almost surreal event (rocks melting with the sun) to symbolize the unending nature of the speaker's love. This image adds depth and intensity to the poem's theme of enduring affection.

 

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!

b. What is the theme of the poem?

c. Paraphrase the whole poem into simple prose form.

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.

Analyse the poem in terms of the literary devices such as simile, symbolism,

imagery, alliteration, and assonance.

e. What is hyperbole? Explain its purpose citing examples of hyperbole used in the

poem.

f. What is refrain? Why is it used in the poem? Explain citing an example from the

poem.

a. The lines "And I will come again, my love, Tho’ it were ten thousand mile!" reveal the speaker's unwavering and deep devotion to his beloved. Despite the great distance of "ten thousand miles," the speaker is willing to make the effort to return to his love, showing a profound commitment and love that transcends physical barriers.

b. The theme of the poem is the enduring and unchanging nature of love. The speaker uses vivid imagery and metaphors to convey the idea that his love will remain constant and unwavering, even in the face of great distances and the passage of time.

c. Paraphrase of the poem into simple prose form: The speaker compares his love to a freshly bloomed red rose and a sweet melody. He tells his beloved that she is as fair as these beautiful images. He promises to love her deeply and without end, even until the seas no longer exist and the rocks melt with the heat of the sun. He bids her farewell for a while but promises to return, no matter how great the distance.

d. Literary devices in the poem:

Simile: The speaker uses similes to compare his love to a "red, red rose" and a sweet melody, creating vivid and relatable images.

Symbolism: The "red, red rose" symbolizes the freshness and beauty of the speaker's love, while the seas and rocks represent the enduring nature of that love.

Imagery: The poem is rich in imagery, with descriptions of the red rose, sweet melody, seas going dry, and rocks melting with the sun, all of which evoke strong visual and sensory impressions.

Alliteration: Examples of alliteration include "deep in love" and "rocks melt."

Assonance: Assonance is evident in phrases like "gang dry" and "sands o' life," where vowel sounds are repeated for musical effect.

e. Hyperbole is a figure of speech that involves extreme exaggeration for emphasis or effect. In the poem, the use of hyperbole is evident in the lines "Till a’ the seas gang dry" and "And I will come again, my love, Tho’ it were ten thousand mile." These statements exaggerate the longevity and distance involved to emphasize the speaker's unwavering commitment and determination.

f. A refrain is a repeated line or phrase in a poem or song, typically at the end of each stanza. In this poem, the refrain is "And I will love thee still, my dear," which is repeated at the end of the first and second stanzas. The refrain serves to emphasize the constancy of the speaker's love and adds a musical quality to the poem. It reinforces the idea that the speaker's love is unchanging and enduring.

 

Reference beyond the text

a. What kind of love is expressed in "A Red, Red Rose"?

b. Do you think that love has power? Why do the poets compose poems addressing

their beloved?

c. Poetry is the expression of feeling and emotions. Explain.

a. The love expressed in "A Red, Red Rose" is a deep, passionate, and enduring love. It's a love that is compared to the beauty and freshness of a red rose and the sweetness of a melody. The speaker's love is characterized by its constancy and the promise to endure for a very long time, even in the face of great distances and the passage of time.

b. Yes, love is often considered to have a powerful influence on people's emotions, actions, and lives. Poets compose poems addressing their beloved for various reasons. One reason is to express and communicate their deep feelings and emotions. Poetry allows them to articulate their love, devotion, and admiration in a creative and profound way. Additionally, writing poetry can serve as a form of catharsis, helping poets process their own emotions and experiences related to love. Furthermore, poets often hope that their words will have a lasting impact on their beloved, preserving their feelings for future generations to appreciate.

c. Poetry is indeed a powerful medium for the expression of feelings and emotions. It provides a unique and artistic way to convey complex and intense emotions that may be difficult to express in everyday language. Through poetic devices like metaphor, simile, symbolism, and imagery, poets can evoke a wide range of emotions in their readers or listeners. Poetry allows for the exploration of love, joy, sorrow, passion, and other profound human experiences in a way that resonates deeply with both the poet and the audience. It captures the essence of these emotions, making them tangible and memorable for generations to come.