Summary and Questions-Answers of -A Red, Red Rose : By Robert Burns

A Red, Red Rose : 

By : Robert Burns

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(Robert Burns : The Poet)

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(The Text)

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Summary: 

In this very little love poem, the speaker expresses his deep love for his beloved and assures her that his love for her will last longer than human life and even than the world itself. In other words, he will love her for ever and ever.

He compares his love with a fresh red rose and a beautifully played melody. Then he promises that he will love her till all the seas of the world will dry and all the mountains will melt by the heat of the sun.

Finally he bids her farewell (says goodbye). He is going on a long journey. But he assures that he will certainly return back to her by all means, however long the journey it might be. 

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Interpretation : 

a. Stanza One : 

O my Luve's like a red, red rose,

That's newly sprung in June:

O my Luve's like the melodie,

That's sweetly play'd in Tune.

In this stanza the speaker tells his beloved how beautiful she is. She is like a fresh red rose. Red rose is the symbol of love and romance. It represents true love. Then he compares her with nicely played melody. Here he has used two similes --- the first, comparing his love to a rose, and second, comparing her to a sweet melody. Here we find a sincere praise of the poet for his beloved's appearance and temperament. 

b. Stanza Two :

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,

So deep in luve am I;

And I will luve thee still, my dear

Till a' the seas gang dry.

 

In this stanza he expresses how deep his love is. He will love her till infinite. He will love her till all the seas go dry. In the last line of the stanza he uses hyperbole. It is a figure of speech that exaggerates. Seas going dry is a hyperbole. 

c. Stanza Three :

Till 'a the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi' the sun;

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

While the sands shall run o' life.

 As in the second stanza, in this stanza also the speaker says how much he loves her. He will continue to love her till the rocks melt by the heat of the sun. This also shows his eternal love for her. He also says that his love will continue while 'the sands of life shall run'. This means till the end of his life.

(A Sand-clock)

d. Stanza Four : 

And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve!

And fare-thee-weel a while!

And I will come again, my Luve,

Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile!

In this stanza he says that although he has to leave for a while, he will certainly return to her, even if he has to take a long journey (ten thousand miles). In other words, he promises to love her how far he might go.

e. Conclusion : 

In short, we find that the first stanza is an introduction about her beauty. The next three stanzas (stanza 2, stanza 3, stanza 4)  describe his love for her from three dimensions : depth, length and distance.

 All this also prove that a true love never dies even if the natural phenomenon stops working.

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Questions-Answers

Before Reading :

Answer these questions :

a. How do people express love ?

Answer : 

There are different kinds of love --- love for country, love for pets, parental love, etc. But in the reference of this poem, it is about romantic love. 

Different people have different ways of expressing love. At the same time, expressing love depends upon in which culture one lives. 

Whichever the culture it might be, if you want to maintain a loving relationship, then it is important to show your loved one how much you love him/her. There are several ways to do so. But the best way is to express your care and concern for him/her. Some words of compliments showing positive feeling is also a good way. Little gifts, form jewelry to a simple flower, also a good way of expressing love. But the best way to express love is to share his/her worries and responsibilities.

b. What is the symbolic meaning of 'rose' ?

Answer :

Roses are most commonly associated with love and romance. But it's not that simple. The symbolic meaning of a rose also depends on its colour. For example, pink roses symbolize gratitude, admiration and joy. White is for innocence and purity.

 Red rose is the symbol of love and romance. It represents true love. 

c. What images in nature would you use to express love ? 

Answer :

There are several images in nature which people use to express their love. Poets have found several images. There is no end to it. 

But mostly two images are frequently used to express love. They are --- flowers, mostly red rose, and full moon.

Personally, I like the image of a fresh red rose.

Understanding the Text

Answer the following the following questions:

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

Answer : In the first stanza, the speaker compares his love to two things. First, he compares her to a fresh red rose, second, he compares her to a nicely played melody. 

While the first comparison describes her beauty, the second one tells us about her temperament. She is a very beautiful lady with a nice temperament and a kind heart.

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

Answer : In the second and third stanzas the speaker wants to assure his beloved about his infinite and never ending love for her. In the second stanza, he promises her that he will love her till all the seas go dry, which is impossible. In the third stanza again, he promises to love her till rock melts with the sun. 

In the last line of the third stanza we find him telling her that he would love till the last day of his life.

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

Answer :He uses the imagery of seas drying, rocks melting with the sun and, finally 'the sands of life running'. 

He uses such imageries to express his unbound and never ending love for her. Through such images he has been successful in expressing his eternal love for her.

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

Answer : By mentioning the number of miles the speaker indicates that he is about to take a long journey (ten thousand miles).We, the readers, come to know that the lovers are soon to be parted. 

 But he assures her that however distance he might go, he will return to her.

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

Answer : The language of this poem is very rich. The poet has used several images in this poem. Among them all I liked the image of 'the sands of life running'.

Here he has compared every moment of life to sand running through hour glass . He loves her every moment of life and will do so till all sand runs away. Thus it gives continuity of his love. 

Reference to the context

a. What do 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!

Answer : This poem is mainly about two things : a. the purity and the beauty of the girl, b. the speaker's devotion to his love. 

In these two lines from the last stanza, we find his devotion and faithfulness towards her. May be due to some reasons he has to take a long journey, but he will remain faithful to her. 

He will not forget or deceive her. It is sure that he will certainly return to her one day. Any distance or any length of time can never overshadow his love for her. Thus he expresses his deep true love for her.

b. What is the theme of the poem ?

Answer : The dominant theme of this poem is love. In almost all the lines the speaker expresses his genuine and faithful love for his beloved. He compares her to a fresh rose and a sweet melody. His love is deep and strong, which will stay for ever. He will love her till the last of his life. No distance or length of time will end their love.

Besides, some other themes are aging, separation, promise etc.

c. Paraphrase the whole poem into simple prose form.

Answer :The speaker's beloved is very beautiful. She is beautiful as a fresh red rose and a beautifully tuned melody. He is in deep love with her. He will continue to love her till all the seas dry and the rocks melt. He will love her till the last day of his life. The writer is going to take a long journey, so there will be separation of them for some time. but the separation will not end their love. He will certainly return to her one day.

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 literary devices such as simile, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, and assonance.  

Answer : Literary devices are tools which help the poets/writers to present their feelings and emotions clearly. They help readers understand in a better way.

Robert Burns has also used some such devices. to describe the beauty of the lady and the depth of his love. Some major devices used are : simile, symbolism, imagery, alliteration and assonance.

1. Simile: Simile is used to compare an object/person with something else to make meanings clear. The comparing word 'like' is used in a simile. 

The poet has used two similes in this poem.

The first simile is the first line of the poem. "My love is like a red red rose". Here he compares his beloved with a red rose. 

Second simile is "O my love is like the melody". Here he compares her with a sweet melody.

2. Symbolism : Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. Symbolism gives a symbolic meaning different from their literal meanings. Here the use of 'red rose' is an example of it. Red rose stands for love and romance. Here rose symbolizes love between the speaker and his beloved.

3. Imagery : Imagery is presentation of something that can be understood through five senses. The poet used three (visual) imageries in this poem. They are :

a. "O my love is like a red, red rose"

b. "And the rocks melt wi' the sun!"

c. "While the sands o' life shall run."

4. Alliteration : It is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line. Here alliteration is in the following line :

"O my love is like a red red rose" 

Here /l/ sound is repeated in 'love' and 'like' , and /r/ sound is repeated in 'red red rose'. 

5. Assonance : It is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line. In this poem we find assonance in: 

"I will love thee still, my dear".

Here /i/ sound is repeated in 'will' and 'still'.

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

Answer : Hyperbole is a device used to exaggerate something than it really is. Using hyperbole poets use overstatement for giving emphasis on something. It gives a good effect.

Its main purpose is to give emphasis on something or to make a point.

Here the poet has used hyperbole in two places :

1. "Till a' seas gang dry". This is hyperbole because seas will never dry. 

2. "And the rocks melt wi' the sun". This is a hyperbole because rocks never melt.

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

Answer : Refrain is phrase, line or group of lines repeated at intervals, generally at the end of the stanzas. 

The line "And I will love thee still, my dear" has become a refrain because it has been repeated in the second and the third stanzas.

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Reference beyond the text

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

Answer : A very romantic and passionate love is expressed in this poem. As the title indicates the speaker is totally in deep love with the girl. 

The metaphor "My love is like a red red rose" gives the expression of his love. 

His love is undying and unending. It will never fade away whatever happens in future. Every image in the poem tells his deep faithful love for her.

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

Answer : Love is a strong feeling of affection towards someone or something special. One can do anything to keep this love. If love teaches us to endure (tolerate) any harsh situation in life, it also helps us take right direction in life. 

Love has different types : love for life, parental love, love for country or love for nation. Every way love is strong. It influences every part of our lives. It is not only enough to love somebody, it is also important to express it. 

A poem is a collection spoken or written words, including  ideas and emotions powerfully in a beautiful way.

Poets express their emotions through poems more easily. It is difficult to express such emotions  through other mediums. In order to express their love, feelings or emotions powerfully they address their beloveds. They also immortalize their beloved in this way. 

But it is not always that all the poems are addressed to beloveds.

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

Answer :Poetry is a vehicle to express one's thoughts and expressions in a beautiful way. There is a saying in Hindi : the first poem must have been written by dipping pen in tears. Here 'tears' certainly indicates emotions. 

Poetry reflects a person's emotional condition at one time. 

Poets express different emotions. It is not only love that they express, They also express emotions like pain, separation, hatred, desire, happiness etc. There are poems about seasons, fear, love for country etc. Any human emotion gets expressed through poetry in a powerful way.

So, there is no debate that poetry is the expression of every human feeling. 

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Some Additional Questions:

Question. 1. : Identify a hyperbole in the second stanza.

Answer: In the second stanza we find the following hyperbole :

'And I will love thee still, my dear,

Till a' the sea gang dry.'

Question 2. What is the mood of A Red Red Rose?

Answer: The mood of this poem is love and passion. The speaker has a deep love for his beloved. He has expressed his love for her in detail in the first three stanzas. It is only in the last stanza the romantic mood is mingled with the emotion of separation. But here also through a hyperbole, he has assured her of their reunion.

Question 3. What does the speaker promise to her beloved in last of the poem ?

Answer: The speaker promises his beloved that although he is going away from her, he will certainly return to her one day, however long he might go.

Question 4. What does the speaker do in the poem?

Answer: The speaker has expressed his genuine and eternal love to his beloved and has also promised of his return from his long and far distant journey.

Question 5. Why is love compared to a red rose?

Answer: Here love is compared to a red rose because red rose has been an ancient symbol of love in almost all cultures.

Question 6. How long does the speaker say he will love his beloved?

Answer: He says he will love his beloved until seas become dry and rocks are melted by the sun. Then he adds that he will love her till the last of his life.

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A Short Interpretation 

1. A Short View of the Poem : The speaker loves his beloved very much. She is extremely beautiful, like a fresh bloomed red rose. She is as sweet as a melody (played on any musical instrument) played in a fine tune. He will love her till the seas dry or rocks melt by the heat of the Sun. Finally, he says good bye to her with a promise to return to her one day.

2. Type of Poem : It is Burn's most well known love poem. It is a Lyric, written in a Ballad form. It is a lyrical ballad.

3. Theme : Permanent, deep genuine love/ Undying love/ Youth/ Aging/ Love, Separation and Promise

4. Main Symbol : The main symbol used in this poem is red 'rose'. Red rose is the symbol of love and romance. 

5. Language : The language of this poem is very simple. It is rich in literary devices. It gives a picture of profound love.

6. Major Literary Devices : Some of the major literary devices used in this poem are : symbolism, Alliteration, Imagery, Hyperbole, Assonance, Anaphora, Anadiplosis, Paradox, Epistrophe etc.

7. Tone : The tone of this poem is 'exalting love'. It is passionate, loving and celebratory. He tells how much he loves his beloved. In the last stanza he assures her of their infinite love. 

8. Composition : There are four stanzas in this poem. Each stanza has four lines. In other words, there are four 'quatrains'. (Quatrain means four lines stanza.)

9. Rhyme: Rhyme in first two stanzas is 'abcb' and in the last two stanzas is 'abab'. 

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(Image credit: Google Images)

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