The Interpretation of "A Red, Red Rose" – A poem written by Robert Burns

The Background
"A Red, Red Rose" is lovely lyric poem written by Robert Burns in 1794. It’s actually a love song that is normally published as a poem. The title of the poem is also written as "My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose". Here we have tried to provide a comprehensive interpretation of this poem after a detailed analysis.

The Structure
The poem is written in 4-line stanzas. It has an end rhyme scheme in each stanza. The tone of the poem is romantic. The poet used imagery, simile, hyperbole and other poetic devices in getting his love message across.

The Interpretation
"A Red, Red Rose" is a typical romantic poem with love theme. The speaker describes his love for a young lady as being fresh all the time. The love is as fresh as the newly sprung red rose. It’s also as sweet as a melodious tune. He goes ahead to describe the beauty of her lover as pretty or bonnie. He describes his love for the lady in an exaggerating mood.

Furthermore, the speaker in the last stanza bids farewell to his love. He also maintains that even if he passes through the desert of death, he’ll still return back for the sake his love.

In all, the poem is all about the expression of true love. The piece was originally composed as a lovely song. It featured in several albums. However, it’s normally published as a poem. The central theme is simply romance or love. The poem describes a man’s love for his girlfriend in the poem. It also describes how a young man can be lost in the ocean of love. It equally showcases a typical example of promises lover boys make to their ladies. Indeed, true lovers love even unto death. The lovers may also continue their love adventure even when they depart the world.

You might also find it interesting to watch the video of recitation of A Red, Red Rose.