A Red, Red Rose By Robert Burns : : Reading poetry-1(Sem-1)

 A Red, Red Rose By Robert Burns

O my Luve is like a red, red rose

   That’s newly sprung in June;

O my Luve is like the melody

   That’s sweetly played in tune.

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

   So deep in luve am I;

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

   Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

   And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;

I will love thee still, my dear,

   While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!

   And fare thee weel awhile!

And I will come again, my luve,

   Though it were ten thousand mile.

“A Red, Red Rose”

by Robert Burns

Introduction

“A Red, Red Rose” is a famous love lyric by Robert Burns, written in 1794. It expresses deep, sincere, and passionate love. The poem is simple in language but powerful in emotion. Burns uses Scottish dialect words like luve (love), bonnie (beautiful), and gang (go), which give the poem a musical and folk-like quality.

Form and Structure

The poem has four quatrains (four-line stanzas).

It follows a regular rhyme scheme: ABCB.

The rhythm is smooth and song-like, as it was meant to be sung.

The structure moves from comparison, to promise, to farewell.

Main Ideas

1st Stanza – Comparison

The speaker compares his love to:

A “red, red rose” newly blossomed in June

A sweet melody played in tune

Idea: His love is fresh, beautiful, and harmonious.

2nd Stanza – Depth of Love

He says he loves his “bonnie lass” deeply and promises to love her until the seas dry up.

Idea: His love is intense and everlasting.

3rd Stanza – Eternal Promise

He repeats his promise using exaggerated images:

Seas drying

Rocks melting

Sands of life running

Idea: His love will last forever, even beyond natural limits.

4th Stanza – Temporary Farewell

He says goodbye for a while but promises to return, even if he must travel “ten thousand mile.”

Idea: Distance cannot weaken true love.

Major Themes

True and passionate love

Eternal commitment

Beauty and admiration

Separation and reunion

Literary Devices

Simile – “My love is like a red, red rose.”

Repetition – Emphasizes strong feeling (“Till a’ the seas gang dry”).

Hyperbole – Exaggeration to show eternal love.

Imagery – Nature images (rose, seas, rocks, sun).

Conclusion

In short, “A Red, Red Rose” is a beautiful expression of romantic love. Through simple language, vivid comparisons, and emotional promises, Burns presents love as pure, deep, and everlasting. The poem celebrates devotion that can survive time and distance.