Below are my thoughts and reflections regarding the theme of
“The Sick Rose” by William Blake and “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns.
The Sick Rose By William Blake
The invisible worm
That flies in the night,
In the howling storm,
Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy:
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy.
A Red Red Rose by Robert Burns
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 played in tune.
As 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 luve 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,
Tho' it ware ten thousand mile.
In poetry the theme is the controlling idea of the whole poetry. The themes reveal the message or the meaning of the whole poetry. From my reflection both of the poems reveal the theme through the title. However the theme of the poems differs in its meaning.
The theme of the poem “The Sick Rose” by William Blake is about of a rose that has reached the end of its lifespan in the advent of the creeping winter. A rose usually symbolizes love, beauty and romance, but in this poem rose is sick reflects the damaged, hurt and destruction. The rose which is personified as an ailing woman was damaged by the worm which is personified as the man who has caused the harm to her. It is a poem that reveals the negative attitude of a man towards a woman whom he destroys to satisfy his lust. Where else in the poem “ A red,red Rose” by Robert Burns the theme is about a man who is deeply in love with his lover. The word red is repeated twice stress the great passion he has for his lover. It is a romantic love poem which has a positive attitude of a man towards a woman whom he loves by showing his great passion of love which is growing deeper and deeper each day.
