A Red , Red Rose Summary
“A Red, Red Rose” was written by a Scottish poet and lyricist, Robert Burns. It is a lyrical ballad that describes the speaker’s deep love for his beloved and promises that this love will last longer than human life. The speaker’s beloved is as beautiful as the red rose and as sweet as the music. The poet has sketched a very clear and real picture of his great love with the help of the literary devices.
The speaker compares his lover with a red rose because red rose is very beautiful. He compares her not only with the red rose but also with the ones that appear in the month of June. Likewise, he compares her with the melody that is produced in tune/music.
He promises that he loves eternally until the seas dry up because she is very slim and very beautiful like art. Similarly, he promises that he loves her until the rocks will be melted by the sun and until the human beings survive.
At last, he shows his profound love saying that he is not with her at the moment and it is just for a short time. He is sure that he will return to get her making a long journey of ten thousand miles.
Here, in the poem, the poet expresses his profound love towards his beloved through a form of art, ie. literature/poetry:so that their love remains immortal until the human beings can read it
A Red , Red Rose Questions And Answer: Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. To which two things does the speaker compare his love in the first stanza ?
Ans: The speaker compares his love with a red rose and the melody in the first stanza.
b. What does the speaker promise in the second and third stanzas ?
Ans: The speaker promises that he will love his beloved until the seas gang dry and until the sun melts the rocks and the man’s life is over respectively in the second and third stanzas.
c.What imagery does he use in his promise, and why do you think he uses such language?
Ans: He uses the imagery of the seas, rocks and human life to dry, melt and be over in his promise in the second and the third stanzas. Likewise, he uses a journey of ten thousand miles in the fourth stanza. In the fourth stanza, he uses a long journey. I think he uses such language to express his profound and genuine love forever as the seas, rocks, and the human beings remain in this earth. And also, he is ready to set up a journey of ten thousand miles which shows his sacrifice and devotion towards his beloved.
d.In the last stanza, what event is about to happen by mentioning the number of miles?
Ans: The speaker is far away from his beloved. The event of reconciliation or reunion is about to happen as he has promised to return to meet her by mentioning the number of miles.
e.Which image in the poem do you find the most memorable or surprising and why?
Ans: I find the image of seas gang the most memorable or surprising because he has promised in a very interesting way that I think it is almost impossible to be dried which means he loves his lover very profoundly, infinitely and eternally like the seas.
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!
Ans: This couplet is taken from the last stanza of the poem. From these lines, I can infer that the speaker has a great devotion towards his beloved that he is far away from her at the present. He wants to make a reconciliation or union with her although he has to set up a long journey of ten thousand miles. So, it shows their inseparable love.
b. What is the theme of the poem ?
Ans: The theme of the poem is a profound love between the lovers who love each other deeply, infinitely and eternally although they have to face a difficulty for their reconciliation. It shows their immortal love.
c.Paraphrase the whole poem into simple prose form.
Ans: This poem “A Red, Red Rose” was written by a Scottish poet and lyricist, Robert Burns. Through this poem, he expresses his profound and genuine love towards her beloved. He is far away from his lover at the present. He compares her with a red, red rose and the melody of the tune. Likewise, he makes a promise that he loves her until the seas gang dry, until the rocks melted by the sun and until the human life is over.
He is hopeful for their reconciliation or reunion that he is ready to set up a long journey of ten thousand miles because he loves her very deeply, infinitely and eternally and wants to make as an immortal love.
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.
Ans: The poet has used the literary devices such as simile, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, and assonance to present his ideas, emotions, and feelings to help the readers understand those more profound meanings. The literary devices used in this poem are given below:
i. Simile: It is a literary device to make a weak comparison between two or more things using
like’ and ‘as’. The speaker has used the simile comparing his love like a red, red rose and the melody in tune in the first stanza.
ii. Symbolism: It is another literary device the poet has used in the poem. Symbols are used in this technique in order to represent the abstract ideas more than the literal meanings. For example, ‘a red rose’ a sweet melody, and love are used as the symbols.
iii. Imagery: It is another important literary device the poet has used in the poem. It is often
Explained as a picture evoked in the mind by words. It is used in literature to give concepts through the images. The speaker has used a red rose, seas, rocks, end of human life and a long journey.
iv. Alliteration: It is one of the important literary devices the poet has used in the poem. Alliteration means the repetition of consonant sounds in certain intervals at the beginning of two or more words. Alliteration in this poem is used in the first line like- O, my love is like a red, red rose. Similarly, it is used in the second line of the last stanza like-And fare thee weel a while!
v.Assonance: Assonance is also an important literary device. It means the repetition of similar or identical vowel sounds. We can find the assonance as given below in the poem:
Line 1:O,,e, e,o
Line 2: ew,у,u
Line 3:O,0,y
Line 4:ee,y,u
Line 6:ee
Line 7:i,ee,ea
Line 8:i,ea
Line 9: ea,ea
Line 11:i,ee,ea
Line 13: ee,ee,y
Line 14: ee, ee
e.What is hyperbole? Explain its purpose citing examples of hyperbole used in the poem.
Ans: Hyperbole is a literary device which is used to exaggerate and emphasize the intensity of the persona’s feelings. The persona in the poem promises that he will love his beloved until the seas dry, rocks melt, and the human life is over as in the: ” And I will love thee still my dear, Till a’ the seas gang dry”” And the rocks melt wi’ the sun!”, “While the sands o’ life shall run.” He expresses that his love is deep infinite and eternal as the seas, and so on. Likewise, to emphasize and exaggerate his love and emotions, he says: “And I will come again, my love, Tho’ it were ten thousand mile!” in the last two lines.
f. What is refrain? Why is it used in the poem? Explain citing an example from the poem.
Ans: Refrain is a repetition of a phrase or a line or lines of poetry at intervals which is used to emphasize or add to the intensity of feeling or strength of argument of the poem. It produces even rhythm in the poem. The poet has used the refrain in the second, third, and fourth stanzas as: “And I will love thee still, my dear”; “Till a’ the seas gang dry”; and “And fare thee weel”.
Reference beyond the text
a. What kind of love is expressed in “A Red, Red Rose “
Ans: The poet has expressed his profound love in “A Red, Red Rose” The poet looks very romantic in the poem as he has compared his love with a red rose which is the symbol of love itself. Similarly, the poet has compared his beloved with a sweet melody of a tune which is very pleasant to everyone to listen. Moreover, he has made promises that he loves her until the seas dry, rocks melt by the sun. and the human life is over. From these lines, we can infer that he loves his lover deeply, infinitely and eternally to make his love immortal. At last, he says that he wants to set up a long journey of ten thousand miles for their reconciliation or reunion. So, the poet has expressed a profound, infinite and eternal love oozing from his inner heart.
b.Do you think that love has power? Why do the poets compose poems addressing their beloved?
Ans: Yes, I totally agree that love has power. It is believed that our life is based on love because it has a bonding nature due to which we get care, co-operation, and affection. Love can direct us to peace, happiness and harmony. Sometimes, there can be conflicts to get love but generally deep love wins over any type of difficulties.
c.I think the poets compose poems addressing their beloved to express their profound, infinite, and eternal love comparing with the splendid things of the nature to make as immortal as they are.Poetry is the expression of feeling and emotions. Explain.
Ans: I support the statement ‘Poetry is the expression of feeling and emotions’. It is said that poetry is an overflow of our feeling and emotions. It is one of the most effective and meaningful ways to express our thoughts. It is an art through which we can release our feelings, emotions, imaginations, and thoughts.
Because of the use of the figures of speech, prosodic features and literary devices, it is a different way to release our every thought strongly, effectively, and meaningfully.