A Red, Red Rose
(Robert Burns (1759-1796) was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is considered the national poet of Scotland and a central figure in Scottish literature. His father was a tenant farmer, and Burns worked as a plowboy. He grew up poor but well-read and began writing poetry in Scottish dialect. As an adult, he was as unsuccessful as his father in making a living at farming.
In 1791, however, he quit farming for good and moved his family to the nearby town of Dumfries. Never in good health, on the morning of July 21, 1796, he died in Dumfries at the age of 37. He is best known as a pioneer of the Romantic Movement for his lyrical poetry.
The poem 'A Red, Red Rose' is a lyrical ballad that describes the speaker’s deep love for his beloved and promises that this love will last longer than human life. The beloved of the speaker is as beautiful as the red rose and as sweet as the music. With the help of the literary devices, the poet has sketched a very vivid and realistic picture of his profound love.)
O, my love is like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June.
O, my love is like the melody,
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonny 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!
And 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!
Glossary
a’(det.): short form of the word ‘all’
art (v.): an older form of the word ‘are’
bonny (adj.): attractive, beautiful
gang (v.): ‘go’ in Scottish
lass (n.): a girl or young woman
o’ (prep.): short form of the word ‘of’
weel (adj.): an older form of the word ‘well’
thee (pro.): an older form of the word ‘you’
tho’ (conj.): though
thou (pro.): an older form of the word ‘you’
wi’ (prep.): short form of the word ‘with’
0 Comments