The Rose as a Symbol in Poetry

Paper Summary:

This paper is an examination of how the rose is used as a symbol in the poems "One Perfect Rose" by Dorothy Parker and "A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns. Burns' poem is shown to use the traditional method of comparing a rose to the love in his heart, whereas with Parker's poem the speaker reveals her feelings about receiving one rose from her beau. The era in which both poems were written is discussed.

From the Paper:

"In the first two lines of the poem the speaker declares, "O my luve's like a red, red rose/ That's newly sprung in June". This immediately conjures up images of two people courting. Since June is the traditional month when many weddings take place, the reader is made to feel that the speaker is serious about his proclamation of love for his "bonnie lass." The simile that the speaker uses to liken his love to a "newly sprung" red rose, paints a picture of perfection. The rose has not been plucked from the garden in which it resides. It is in its purest state, at the beginning of summer, before wind and cold cause it to wither and die. The condition of the rose compares to a new romance in its first stages (and possibly unconsummated), that has not been tainted by unforeseen circumstances or the participants' own imperfections. Their love is still perfect and in full bloom, like the rose."

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