William Blake's Poem, "The Sick Rose"

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the poem, "The Sick Rose", by William Blake. Specifically, the paper discusses the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, and other units that make up a poem.

From the Paper:

"First, Blake addresses the rose as if it were a living person with feelings, rather than simply a flower, he gives it human qualities, or anthromorphises the flower to make it more real. He writes, "O Rose thou art sick" (Blake). He may have actually written the poem for a sick friend or loved one, because it certainly illustrates grief at death. Then again, the poem could have been written over the loss, or "death" of love, for the foreboding tone and reference to the "dark secret love" (Blake) of the worm could mean that the rose has found another love, and the speaker is grieving over the loss of love, rather than the loss of life. It clearly portrays the pain of dying on the person, but also on the loved ones who surround the "rose." It is important to note that the author uses this rose, which is a universal symbol of love, both as a flower, and a symbolic sign of love and relationships."

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