A Red, Red Rose

Summary

"A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns is a love poem that expresses the speaker's deep and enduring love for his "bonny lass." The speaker compares his love to a red, red rose and to a melody, and he promises to love the "bonny lass" until the seas go dry and the rocks melt with the sun. The speaker also says that he will continue to love her even when the sands of life run out, emphasizing the depth and permanence of his feelings. The poem conveys the idea that love is something beautiful and enduring, and it speaks to the power of love to inspire and motivate people.

Answer the following questions.

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

The speaker compares his love to a red, red rose and to a melody.

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

The speaker promises to love the "bonny lass" until the seas go dry and the rocks melt with the sun, and to continue loving her even when the sands of life run out.

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

The speaker uses imagery of natural elements and processes (seas going dry, rocks melting, sands of life running out) to convey the depth and permanence of his love. These images are meant to convey the idea that his love will last indefinitely, even beyond the boundaries of the natural world.

d. In the last stanza, what event is about to happen by mentioning the number of miles?

The speaker mentions the number of miles in the last stanza as a way of expressing the distance that will be between them when they are apart. It suggests that the speaker will be leaving and will have to travel a great distance to return to the "bonny lass."

e. Which image in the poem do you find the most memorable or surprising and why?

One image that stands out to me is the image of the seas going dry and the rocks melting with the sun. It is a powerful and dramatic way of expressing the depth and endurance of the speaker's love. It suggests that his love will last even beyond the bounds of the natural world, which is a surprising and memorable image.

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!

From the line "And I will come again, my love, / Tho’ it were ten thousand mile!," we can infer that the speaker is deeply devoted to his beloved. The fact that he is willing to travel a great distance to return to her suggests that he values their relationship highly and is committed to maintaining it, even if it requires a significant effort on his part. This line reflects the depth of the speaker's feelings and the strength of his devotion to his beloved.

b. What is the theme of the poem?

The theme of the poem "A Red, Red Rose" is enduring love. The speaker expresses his deep love for his "bonny lass" and promises to love her until the natural world itself comes to an end. This eternal, unchanging love is the central theme of the poem and is conveyed through the use of imagery and language that emphasizes the permanence and depth of the speaker's feelings.

c. Paraphrase the whole poem into simple prose form.

"My love is like a beautiful red rose that has just bloomed in June. It is also like a sweet melody played in perfect harmony. You are very beautiful, my dear, and I am deeply in love with you. I will continue to love you until all the seas dry up and the rocks melt in the sun. Even when the sands of life run out, I will still love you. Farewell, my only love, and see you again, even if it means traveling ten thousand miles."

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.

"A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns employs several literary devices to convey the theme of enduring love.

• Simile: The speaker uses a simile in the first stanza to compare his love to a red, red rose and to a melody. This helps the reader understand the depth and intensity of the speaker's feelings.
• Symbolism: The imagery used in the poem, particularly the references to natural elements and processes, serves as a symbol for the speaker's enduring love. The seas going dry, the rocks melting, and the sands of life running out all represent the idea that the speaker's love will last forever.
• Imagery: The poem makes use of vivid imagery to create a sense of the speaker's deep and enduring love. The speaker's love is described as a "red, red rose" and a "melody," and the promise to love the "bonny lass" until the seas go dry and the rocks melt with the sun further emphasizes the permanence and intensity of his feelings.
• Alliteration: The repetition of the "s" sound in the phrase "Till a’ the seas gang dry" creates a sense of rhythmic flow and helps to draw the reader's attention to this important line in the poem.
• Assonance: The repetition of the long "i" sound in the phrase "And I will love thee still, my dear" creates a sense of unity and helps to convey the speaker's strong emotions.

Overall, these literary devices work together to convey the theme of enduring love and to create a sense of the depth and intensity of the speaker's feelings for his beloved.

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

Hyperbole is a literary device that involves using exaggeration or overstatement for emphasis or effect. It is often used to make a point or to convey strong emotions in a more dramatic or expressive way.

In "A Red, Red Rose," the speaker uses hyperbole in the line "Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear, / And the rocks melt wi’ the sun!" This is an exaggerated way of expressing the depth and endurance of the speaker's love, as it suggests that his love will last even beyond the boundaries of the natural world.

Another example of hyperbole in the poem is the line "Tho’ it were ten thousand mile!" This exaggerates the distance the speaker is willing to travel to return to his beloved, emphasizing the strength of his devotion to her.

Hyperbole is used in literature to create emphasis and to convey strong emotions in a more vivid and expressive way. In "A Red, Red Rose," the hyperbolic language helps the reader understand the intensity and depth of the speaker's love for his beloved.

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

A refrain is a repeated phrase or line that is used in a poem or song to create a sense of unity and to highlight a particular idea or theme. Refrains are often used to create a sense of rhythm and to draw the reader's attention to a specific message or emotion.

In "A Red, Red Rose," the refrain "And I will love thee still, my dear" is used to emphasize the speaker's enduring love for his beloved. This refrain appears in each of the three stanzas, creating a sense of unity and helping to convey the idea that the speaker's love will last forever.

The repetition of the refrain helps to draw the reader's attention to this central message of the poem, and it serves to reinforce the theme of enduring love. The refrain also helps to create a sense of rhythmic flow and structure in the poem.

Reference beyond the text

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

In "A Red, Red Rose," the speaker expresses a deep and enduring love for his "bonny lass." The poem conveys the idea that this love will last forever, even beyond the boundaries of the natural world. The speaker compares his love to a red, red rose and to a melody, suggesting that it is something beautiful and sweet. The speaker also makes a promise to love the "bonny lass" until the seas go dry and the rocks melt with the sun, emphasizing the depth and permanence of his feelings.

Overall, the love expressed in "A Red, Red Rose" is a strong, passionate, and enduring love that is characterized by beauty, depth, and commitment. It is a love that is meant to last forever and to withstand the test of time.

Do you think that love has power? Why do the poets compose poems addressing their beloved?

Love is a powerful emotion that has the ability to inspire and motivate people in many different ways. It can bring people together and create strong bonds of affection and connection. Love can also be a source of strength and inspiration, helping people to persevere through difficult times and challenges.

Poets often compose poems addressing their beloved as a way of expressing their feelings and emotions. Love poetry is a way for poets to share their thoughts and feelings about love, and it can be a powerful means of communication between two people. Poets may also write love poems as a way of exploring and understanding their own feelings, or as a means of expressing the universal emotions and experiences that are associated with love.

Overall, I believe that love has a great deal of power and that it is a force that has the ability to inspire and enrich our lives. Poets often turn to love poetry as a way of expressing this powerful emotion and of exploring its many facets and complexities.

Poetry is the expression of feeling and emotions. Explain.

Poetry is a form of literature that uses language in a highly stylized and expressive way to convey emotions and feelings. Poets use a variety of literary devices, such as figurative language, imagery, and sound devices, to create a sense of emotional depth and intensity in their writing. Poetry often deals with themes related to love, relationships, loss, and other emotions, and it is often considered to be a highly personal and intimate form of expression.

One of the main characteristics of poetry is its ability to evoke emotions in the reader. Poets use language and imagery to create vivid and powerful impressions that speak to the reader's feelings and experiences. Whether through the use of metaphor, symbol, or rhyme, poetry has the ability to touch people on a deep emotional level.

In this way, poetry is a means of expressing feeling and emotion in a highly artistic and expressive way. It allows poets to communicate their thoughts and feelings in a way that is both powerful and evocative, and it allows readers to connect with and understand their own emotions more deeply.