A Red, Red Rose, Robert Burns

A Red, Red Rose

Robert Burns(1759～1796)

 

O! my love’s like a red, red rose,

That’s newly sprung in June;

O! my Love’s like the melodie

That’s sweetly played in June.

 

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in love am I;

And I will love 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:

O! I will love thee still, my dear,

While the sands o’ life shall run.

 

And fare thee weel, my only love,

And fare thee weel, a while!

And I will come again, my love,

Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.

 

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meaning

 

Red, Red Rose is a poem by Robert Burns that sings of love and longing for a loved one.

 

 

 

The speaker of the poem compares his beloved to a red rose and a beautiful melody. He sings about how much he loves his loved one and how he will always love him.

 

 

 

At the end of the poem, the speaker tells his beloved to wait a moment. He promises to return soon.

 

 

 

This poem presents a romantic view of the nature of love. The speaker will never forget his beloved, and he believes that he will always love him.

 

 

 

Red, Red Rose is a poem written in Scotland in the 18th century. The 18th century was the Age of Enlightenment, a time when individual emotions and sensibilities were considered important.

 

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Robert Burns, born in 1759, is an English poet who expressed the simple and pure emotions of the Scottish common people.

 

story

 

 

 

Once upon a time there was a man. He loved beautiful women. The man compared the woman to a red rose and a beautiful melody. He confessed to her woman how much he loved her and that he would always love her.

 

 

 

The two grew happily in love. But one day, the man went to war. He told the woman to wait a moment. He promised he would be back soon. After the man left, the woman spent each day missing him. She eagerly waited for the man to return.

 

 

 

The war is finally over. The man returned to the woman. The two met again and shed tears of joy.

 

question

 

Student: What does the phrase “until the whole sea dries up” mean in Red, Red Rose?

 

Professor: That phrase means that love is eternal. Even after so long as the sea dries up, the speaker will still love the woman.

 

 

 

 

 

Student: “What is the theme of the poem?”

 

Professor: “This poem tells a story about strong love and the eternity of that love. The poet compares his beloved to roses and music, promising that his love will never change.”

 

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Student: “Why did the poet express love with roses and music?”

 

Professor: “Roses and music are beautiful and touching means of expression, and I think the poet chose them to maximize the beauty of his beloved and the feelings of love.”

 

Terms

 

 

 

Rose: Among flowers, it is a red flower known as a symbol of love. In this poem, it represents the beauty and emotions of a loved one.

 

Melodious: refers to music or sound that is pleasant to listen to and moving, and in this poem it is expressed through the beauty and music of a loved one.

 

Eternity: Refers to a state of infinitely long duration, and the poem emphasizes the continuity and constancy of love.

 

Endlessly: It means a state that continues without end, and in this poem, it expresses the promise that love will continue infinitely.