The Sick Rose - 1224 Words

Interpretation of â€Å"The Sick Rose† William Blake’s â€Å"The Sick Rose† is not easily interpreted at first glance. One must look at the deeper meaning behind the figurative symbols that Blake uses to uncover the essence of the poem. In the poem â€Å"The Sick Rose† the rose symbolizes a mentally unstable woman due to her abusive and controlling relationship with a man. This is demonstrated by the use of figurative language (symbolism and imagery in particular), the speaker’s tone, and the two illustrations presented. Blake portrayed the meaning behind the symbol â€Å"the rose† by using figurative language throughout the poem. To understand what the rose is symbolizing one must look at the other figurative symbols that are presented in the poem to†¦show more content†¦Blake exemplifies this by writing â€Å"And his dark secret love† (line 7). The notion that is being created is that the love the man had for the woman was immoral, and that the affection was more of an obsession then love. The man Blake speaks of is controlling and obsessive over this woman and it is affecting her negatively. When Blake uses the word â€Å"secret† in referring to the love the man has, it shows how the abuse between the two is almost like a secret because you cannot see the abuse. This is because the abuse is not physical. The abuse is towards the women is hurting her mentally and emotionally. In copy A this demonstrates how it is considered secretive because you can see the woman inside the rose on the ground but you cannot see a worm wrapped around her like you can in copy Y. It could also make reference to how to woman does not even know she is being harmed. In the last line of the poem Blake writes, â€Å" Does thy life destroy† (line 8). This line creates a negative connotation associated with the relationship of the worm and rose. The line tells the readers that the man is essentially ruining the woman’s life. Both examples of the speaker ’s tone help create the idea of the abusive aspect. The differences between the two copies of the poem makes subtle details stick out prominently to the readers. This helps to create emphasis on certain aspects of the poem. When looking at copy A, the figures of women on the top branchesShow MoreRelatedThe Sick Rose Essay1010 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Sick Rose† and Dorothy Parker’s â€Å"One Perfect Rose† both have titles suggesting the connotations associated with a rose. However, the poem’s actual references are reversed in meaning, they also have a deception of romanticism in their titles. They are two poems about love, with the rose as a symbol. 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