description A Red, Red Rose Overview
Robert Burns’s “A Red, Red Rose” is a lyrical poem from 1794 exploring themes of passionate love and devotion. The work utilizes vivid imagery – comparing his beloved to a rose and a song – to express deep affection. It remains a cornerstone of Scottish literature and is frequently recited or studied by those interested in Burns’s romantic verse and the sentimentality of eighteenth-century poetry.
help A Red, Red Rose FAQ
Who wrote 'A Red, Red Rose'?
Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote the poem in 1794, and it appeared in the "Scots Musical Museum." It draws on Scottish folk-song traditions and uses Scots dialect for much of its language.
What form is 'A Red, Red Rose' written in?
The poem is written in ballad meter—alternating iambic tetrameter and trimeter—reflecting its roots in Scottish folk lyric. Burns adapted and refined traditional material into one of the most celebrated love poems in English and Scots literature.
What is the meaning of 'O my Luve's like a red, red rose'?
Burns compares his love to a freshly blooming rose "in June" and to a "melodie / That's sweetly played in tune," using nature imagery to express romantic devotion. The poem then vows a love that will endure "Till a' the seas gang dry."
Is 'A Red, Red Rose' in the public domain?
Yes—published in 1794, the poem has been in the public domain for well over a century. It appears in countless anthologies and has been set to music by multiple composers over the years.
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