A Red, Red Rose Summary and Analysis

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.

 About the poem A Red, Red Rose

Robert Burns who was the national Scottish poet as well as lyricist composed A Red, Red Rose that is a very popular love poem

The lyrical poem was first published in the year of 1794 in a collection of traditional Scottish songs set to

(I) a simple Scottish song inspi that the poet had heard in the country, as well as (II) published ballads from the period inspired this poem 

Robert Burns composed this poem in the form of a ballad that is meant to be sung aloud

A Red, Red Rose is a description of:

  • (I) Deep of its speaker for his/her beloved.
  • (II) The speaker of the poem makes a promise that this/his love will last longer than human life and even the planet itself, remaining fresh as well as constant forever.

 “A Red, Red Rose” Summary

The speaker of the lyric poem A Red, Red Rose says that his/her love (means, beloved) or his (speaker) feeling of love for that person is as: (I) beautiful (II) vivid or lively, as well as (III) fresh as a flower has bloomed just now. Moreover, it is also sweet, similar to a beautiful song that a skilled musician plays.

According to the speaker of A Red, Red Rose, his beloved is very beautiful. That is why he loves her with a deep as well as strong passion; actually, it is so strong that his love will not last till the oceans have become dry (it is impossible). Here, the poet uses a figure of speech Hyperbole. 

Here, the speaker, once again uses the metaphorical expression in the third stanza of the poem A Red, Red Rose. He says that even after the seas/oceans have evaporated as well as the earth has decayed, he still/even then, will love his beloved.

Moreover, his love for her will endure until the lives of the two (lover and beloved) have ended as well as even until all human life has ended.

In the last stanza of the poem A Red, Red Rose the speaker says goodbye to his beloved. Here, he reminds her that she is the only person whom he loves. He wishes the beloved well while they are temporarily separated.

He once again reaffirms his/her faithful/true love with this promise that he will return even if the journey covers quite a long distance as well as takes or consumes a very long time.

 A Red, Red Rose Theme

Immortality of love is the major theme of A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns. Here, in this poem, the love of the speaker for his beloved is very deep-rooted. That is why it will stay forever irrespective of (any) happenings. 

u003cstrongu003eHow many stanzas are in the poem A Red, Red Rose ?u003c/strongu003e

u003cstrongu003eThere are four stanzas of four lines each in A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns.u003c/strongu003e

u003cstrongu003eWhat is rhyme scheme of Robert Burns’ poem A Red, Red Rose ?u003c/strongu003e

u003cstrongu003eA Red, Red Rose follows ABCB rhyme scheme. The pattern continues throughout the poem.u003c/strongu003e

u003cstrongu003eWhat are the literary devices used by the poet in A Red, Red Rose ?u003c/strongu003e

u003cstrongu003eSimile, Hyperbole, Consonance, Assonance, Alliteration, Enjabment, Imagery, and Symbolism are those literary devices that Robert Burns uses in his poem A Red, Red Rose.u003c/strongu003e

u003cstrongu003eWhat are the main themes of the poem A Red, Red Rose ?u003c/strongu003e

u003cstrongu003eLove as well as Separation are the main themes of Robert Burns’ poem A Red, Red Rose.u003c/strongu003e