A Red, Red Rose: Verse Two
“A Red, Red Rose: Verse Two” – Overview
Background and Context:
- “A Red, Red Rose” is one of Robert Burns’ famous love poems, which has been anthologised widely due to its universal appeal.
- The poem was first published in 1794 and expresses intense emotion and profound love.
- Verse Two particularly enhances the theme of enduring love through the beautiful depiction of nature and the use of hyperbole.
Interpretation of Verse Two:
- The second verse, ‘As fair are thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in luve am I’, communicates the depth of the speaker’s love for his beloved.
- The comparison of the beloved to a ‘bonnie lass’ lays emphasis on her beauty and charm.
- ‘And I will luve thee still, my dear, Till all the seas gang dry’ reinforces the perpetuity of the speaker’s love.
Language and Diction:
- Burns uses the Scots dialect which adds a touch of authenticity and lyricism to the piece.
- Words such as ‘thou’, ‘bonnie lass’, ‘luve’, ‘still’, and ‘gang dry’ contribute to the melodious quality of the verse.
Theme Analysis: Enduring Love and Nature:
- Burns intertwines the theme of endless love and the power of nature in this verse.
- By pledging to love ‘till all the seas gang dry’, Burns asserts the constancy and infinity of his love, which will last until an improbable natural disaster occurs.
Imagery and Symbolism:
- The verse is rife with symbolism, aiming to exemplify the enormity and constancy of the speaker’s love.
- The sea, in this context, symbolises the vastness of his love while ‘gang dry’ represents an improbable occurrence, thus indicating the undying nature of his love.
Poetic Devices:
- Techniques such as hyperbole (‘Till all the seas gang dry’) and simile (‘As fair are thou, my bonnie lass’) skillfully employed by Burns amplify the emotional intensity of his love.
- Hyperbole is utilised to express the infinite extent of his love while the simile enhances her charm, making her appear more appealing in the reader’s mind.