Sick Rose -Question, and Answer
Analyze the central idea of the poem ” The Sick Rose”
The Sick Rose’,, is one of the quintessential poems of William Blake. The themes of the poem deal with love and innocence as well as evil and destruction. This poem has been adopted from ‘Songs of Experience. It shows the relation between the two main objects. — “Rose” and “worm”.. The ‘rose’ symbolizes love and innocence whereas ‘The invisible worm / That flies in the night’ has been presented as the destroyer of this love and innocent. It symbolizes experience, evil, jealousy, and selfishness. The deadly bite of evil makes lovesick. The worm makes the rose ‘sick’. Here Blake has tried to draw the attention of the readers to one of the bitter truths of life, that is a beautiful relation of love can be destroyed by a suspect or by harmful experience. Thus ‘The Sick Rose’, Blake has successfully represens a complex nature of human beings towards their love relation.
2)How does Blake use symbols in the poem “The Sick Rose”
William Blake’s “The Sick Rose” is ideal for symbols. The rose is the symbol of beauty, modesty, love, and innocence. The ‘invisible’ worm stands for experience. The harm caused by the worm to the rose symbolizes the destruction of innocence by experience. Literally, it refers to the destruction of affection by selfishness.
From another edge, the rose stands for a gorgeous girl whose life is destroyed by the evil forces. Their loveless doubtful relationship costs finally the sicknesses of the rose. Besides the worm evokes the image of the biblical serpent(satan) who is responsible for the banishment of Adam and Eve from paradise. it’s the corrupting force that destroys the sweetness. The phrase ‘bed of crimson joy’ suggests sensuality. By its help, the image of a maiden is portrayed.
3)O rose thou art sick–explain the line.
Or describe the relationship of the rose and the worm
Or a critical appreciation of the poem.
Or Has found out thy crimson joy.— Explain.
Or And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy — explain?
Or innocence is destroyed by experience — Explain the theme.
The Invisible worm flies in the howling storm at night and has found out the bed of crimson joy of the rose. The worm enjoys crimson joy by destroying its Petals. Blake asserts that the love of worm to the rose is dark and secretly full of evil intention which ultimately destroys the life of the rose.
“And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy”.
Through this poem, Blake highlights the positive and negative symbolism in social life. The rose is the symbol of innocent, chastity while the worm is the symbol of cruelty, guileless, and destruction. The chastity and innocence of the rose is destroyed by the evil’ worm’. The poet ironically describes the love of the worm is not real love but such behavior of the worm is dark and secret in society. It is dark and secret love because the purpose of this love was a sensual pleasure not the bonding of hearts and no one knows about the secret destructive love. Innocent is being spoiled by evil in materialistic society. Rose saved the life of the worm in the howling storm but the worm destroys the rose’s life. Ironically this poem is a perfect piece. The poem is a good example of containing meaningful images likee
‘crimson’, ‘love’, ‘bed’, ‘secret’, ‘invisible’, ‘sick’ etcents such as
