A Red Red Rose
Nepali Translate
हे, मेरो माया रातो रातो गुलाब जस्तै छ,
जुन जुनमा भर्खरै झरेको हो।
हे, मेरो माया धुन जस्तै छ,
त्यो मिठो धुनमा खेलेको छ।
तिमी जति निष्पक्ष छौ, मेरी प्यारी केटी,
म यति गहिरो प्रेममा छु,
र म तिमीलाई अझै माया गर्नेछु, मेरो प्रिय,
जब सम्म समुन्द्र सुक्दैन।
जब सम्म समुद्रको गिरोह सुक्दैन, मेरो प्रिय,
र चट्टानहरू सूर्यसँग पग्लिन्छन्!
र म तिमीलाई अझै माया गर्नेछु, मेरो प्रिय,
जबकि जीवनको बालुवा चल्नेछ।
र तिमिलाई भुल्न, मेरो मात्र माया,
र तिमीलाई केही समयको लागि भाडा!
र म फेरि आउनेछु, मेरो माया,
त्यो दस हजार माइल थियो!
Summary
“A Red, Red Rose” begins by describing the speaker`s love for a beloved with images that are beautiful but not necessarily long-lasting.
The speaker begins with an image of the beloved that emphasizes her youth and beauty, suggesting a love that is enthusiastic but likely to fade with time. Meanwhile, saying that the speaker`s love for her is like a new rose implies that this is a new relationship, with all the freshness and excitement of a developing romance. If the speaker`s love is just like a new rose, maybe it won`t last very long.
The speaker then says this love is like “a melody / That`s sweetly played in tune”. But again, instruments can go out of tune, just as flowers can fade. Then, however, the speaker goes on to emphasize how long this love will last. The speaker uses three images to measure how long these feelings of love will last: the seas going dry, the rocks melting, and the sands of life running out. It seems now that the speaker`s love, far from lasting only as long as a flower, will actually endure longer than human life.
In the final stanza, the speaker bids farewell to the beloved, as if the speaker is planning to leave on a journey. This promise implies that, just as long stretches of time could not exhaust the speaker`s love for the beloved, a long stretch of distance cannot keep the speaker from her. And the length of this journey now seems short—just “awhile”—compared to the near-infinite time the speaker`s love will last. It seems, then, that love like the speaker’s is powerful enough to make earthly obstacles (like physical distance) feel insignificant. The moment of farewell in the final stanza highlights the speaker’s core argument: love that lasts forever is also love that allows for change over time.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. To which two things does the speaker compare his love in the first stanza?
Answer : The two things to which the speaker compares his love in the first stanza are red rose and melody.
b. What does the speaker promise in the second and third stanzas?
Answer : The speaker promises to love his beloved until the earthly seas have become dry, rocks have melted by the heat of the sun and human life has ended in the second and third stanzas.
c. What imagery does he use in his promise, and why do you think he uses such language?
Answer : He uses the imagery of dry seas, melted rocks, ended human life in the second and third stanza and an image of a long journey in the fourth stanza. I think he uses such language because his love is so deep and true for his beloved.
d. In the last stanza, what event is about to happen by mentioning the
number of miles?
Answer : In the last stanza, the event of reconciliation is about to happen by mentioning the number of miles.
e. Which image in the poem do you find the most memorable or surprising and why?
Answer : The most memorable or surprising image I find in the poem is of the dry seas throughout the world, because the speaker’s promise is managed in a very interesting way.
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!
Answer : These lines reveal the speaker’s unwavering devotion to his beloved. He expresses a strong commitment to return to her no matter how far apart they are, even if the distance is an enormous “ten thousand miles.” This hyperbolic statement reflects the depth of his love and his willingness to overcome any obstacle to be reunited with her, highlighting his absolute dedication and loyalty.
b. What is the theme of the poem?
Answer : he central theme of “A Red, Red Rose” is the enduring and boundless nature of true love. The poem explores the speaker’s deep affection for his beloved, emphasizing that his love is both beautiful and everlasting. Through vivid imagery and passionate declarations, the speaker conveys that his love will persist through time and distance, surviving even the most extreme and impossible conditions. The theme also touches on devotion, separation, and the promise of reunion despite great challenges.
c. Paraphrase the whole poem into simple prose form.
Answer : The speaker begins by comparing his love for his beloved to a beautiful red rose that has just bloomed in June, and to a melody that is sweetly played. He finds his beloved as lovely as the rose and expresses how deeply he loves her.
The speaker then makes a promise to his beloved, stating that he will love her until the seas dry up and the rocks melt under the heat of the sun. He will continue to love her as long as time exists and life continues.
In the final stanza, the speaker says goodbye to his beloved, but reassures her that he will return, even if he must travel an enormous distance of ten thousand miles to do so. His love remains steadfast and unchanging, despite their temporary separation.
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.
Answer : In “A Red, Red Rose,” Robert Burns uses various literary devices to convey the depth and passion of the speaker’s love. Similes are used to compare his love to a “red, red rose” and a “melody sweetly play’d,” emphasizing its beauty, freshness, and harmony. Symbolism plays a significant role, with the rose symbolizing romantic love, and natural elements like seas and rocks representing time and endurance, illustrating that the speaker’s love will last forever. The poem is rich in imagery, painting vivid pictures in the reader’s mind, such as the delicate rose and the vast seas, which emphasize the intensity and permanence of the speaker’s affection. Burns also employs alliteration, such as in “red, red rose,” to create a rhythmic flow, and assonance, as in “Till a’ the seas gang dry,” to enhance the poem’s lyrical quality. Together, these literary devices create a powerful portrayal of deep, unwavering, and eternal love.
e. What is hyperbole? Explain its purpose citing examples of hyperbole used in the poem.
Answer : Hyperbole is a literary technique which is used to exaggerate a statement for the sake of emphasis. The poet has used hyperbola in the last line of the second stanza, “Till a’ the seas gang dry”. He says that his love will flow even when the seas dries up. The second one is in the third stanza where the speaker claimed, “And the rocks melt wi’ the sun”. Here, the speaker seems to be exaggerating his emotions in these lines to illustrate his desire to love her forever.
f. What is refrain? Why is it used in the poem? Explain citing an example from the poem.
Answer : A refrain is a repeated line or group of lines in a poem or song, typically occurring at regular intervals throughout the piece. It often reinforces the central theme or emotion of the work, creating a rhythmic or thematic anchor.
In “A Red, Red Rose,” the refrain is:
“And I will love thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.”
This refrain is used to emphasize the speaker’s enduring and unwavering love. By repeating this sentiment, Burns highlights the idea of a love that is eternal and unchanging, regardless of any external conditions or challenges. The repetition of this line underscores the commitment and depth of the speaker’s affection, reinforcing the central theme of timeless, unconditional love.
Reference beyond the text
a. What kind of love is expressed in “A Red, Red Rose”?
Answer : In this poem, A Red, Red Rose, the poet has expressed his romantic and inestimable love for his beloved. He promises to love his beloved until the earthly seas have become dry, rocks have melted by the heat of the sun and human life has ended and makes it clear that he will love her till his last breath.
b. Do you think that love has power? Why do the poets compose poems addressing their beloved?
Answer : Yes, I think that love has power. In fact I consider love as a most powerful thing that exists in the entire universe. Love is the thing that bounds people and keep them together. Love can sometimes lead people towards perfection whereas it may bring destructive results too. Most of the poets compose their poems addressing their beloved because poem is the beautiful and best medium to express the feeling of a person. Expressing love in poem adds more beauty to the story than in another form. Thus the poets compose poems addressing their beloved.
c. Poetry is the expression of feeling and emotions. Explain.
Answer : Most of the literary works of extraordinary merit have been written through the means of poetry. Poetry is the representation of thoughts and feelings that enables people to express themselves in writing. Poetry is a perfect way to express love, emotions, imagination, and exchange ideas and thoughts with others. Poetry holds power to explain those intimate moments of the life of human beings. It’s not only a joy that poets can relate to their verses, but also grief, despair, grief, pain, doubt, hatred, love, compassion, desire, praise, faith, respect, and hope. Therefore, poetry can be taken as the expression of feelings and emotions.
