Grade 11: A Red, Red Rose Questions Answers

 A Red, Red Rose Exercise

Answer the following questions.

a. To which two things does the speaker compare his love in the first stanza?

Ans: Rose and melody are two things to which the speaker compares his love. At first, he compares his love with a red rose that newly bloomed in June. In the following verses, he again compares his love with a melody that is played in a heart-touching tune. Here, the speaker refers to love as his beloved and his feelings for her.

b. What does the speaker promise in the second and third stanzas?

Ans: In the second stanza, the speaker promises his beloved that he will love her till all the seas dry up. However, as the seas never go dry, he means to say that he will love her forever. He even assures her that his love for her is so deep in the same intensity as her beauty.

In the third stanza, he promises to love her till the rocks melt with the sun. This too is an exaggeration which is impossible to happen. He also promises to love her until there is life in him.

c. What imagery does he use in his promise, and why do you think he uses such language?

Ans: The speaker uses three imageries in his promise. They are:

>The image of seas drying up

>The image of rocks melting with the sun

>The image of sand running in a classic sand timer as if it is life

He uses this language to express his profound and limitless love for his beloved.

d. In the last stanza, what event is about to happen by mentioning the number of miles?

Ans: In the last stanza, the event that is about to happen, by mentioning the number of miles, is the separation between the speaker and his beloved. They are getting separated from each other, at least for some time. However, the speaker asserts that he will come to her from ten thousand miles away.

e. Which image in the poem do you find the most memorable or surprising and why?

Ans: The poet uses four significant images in the poem. They are: 

>The image of the red rose

>The image of seas drying up

>The image of rocks melting with the sun

>The image of sand running in a classic sand timer as if it is life

Among these images, I find the image of sand running in a classic sand timer memorable and surprising because the poet has amazingly picturized the concept of life in the form of an image, and it has also portrayed the reality of life.

 Reference to the context

a. What can you infer about the speaker's devotion to his beloved from the following lines?

And I will come again, my love,

Tho' it were ten thousand mile!

Ans: The following lines clearly infer that the speaker loves his beloved unconditionally. Although time has put them on the verge of separation, he is ready to come to her from anywhere. Even though he will be ten thousand miles away from her, he promises to return to her. This shows the speaker's devotion to his beloved and the intensity of his love for her.

b. What is the theme of the poem?

Ans: Love and separation are the significant themes given in the poem. The poet has layered them by using metaphors of natural objects. This poetry is primarily concerned with the speaker's love for his significant other. He adores her beauty and expresses his immeasurable love for her. His passion for her is so deep-rooted that it will stay forever, no matter what happens.

c. Paraphrase the whole poem into simple prose form.

(Note: Paraphrasing is not a summary; therefore, students must use the same point of view used in the poem. They should just convert the poetic language to ordinary prose language)

Ans: O dear, my feeling of love for you is as beautiful, vivid, and fresh as a flower that has newly bloomed in June. This love is as sweet as a beautiful song played in a melodious tune by a skilled musician.

You are so beautiful that I love you with a deep and robust passion—so strong, in fact, I love you with the same intensity of your beauty. My love will last until the oceans become dry.

Even after the seas have evaporated and the earth has decayed, I will still love you, sweetheart. This love will endure until a sign of life runs in me.

Goodbye to you, dear—Goodbye to the only person I love in the world. I wish you well during this temporary separation. I assure you that I will return to you even though life throws me ten thousand miles away from you.

d. Literary devices are tools that enable the writers to present their ideas, emotions, and feelings and also help the readers understand those more profound meanings.

Analyze the poem in terms of literary devices such as simile, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, and assonance.

Ans: 

Indeed literary devices are the tools that enable the writers to present their ideas, emotions, and feelings and also help the readers understand those more profound meanings. A literary device is any specific aspect of literature, or a particular work, which we can recognize, identify, interpret and analyze. Both literary elements and literary techniques can rightly be called literary devices. Some literary devices used in this poem are:

Simile: Simile is a device used to compare an object or a person with something else to clarify the meanings to the readers. There are two similes used in this poem. The first is used in the first line, "O my Love is like a red, red rose" Here, the poet compares his beloved with a red rose. The second is used in the third line, "O my Love is like the melody", and the poet compares his love with a sweet melody.

Symbolism:

Symbolism means to use symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings different from their literal meanings. Robert has used the "rose" as a symbol of love.

Alliteration: 

Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sounds of /l/ and /r/ in "O my Love is like a red, red rose".

Imagery: 

Imagery is a distinct representation of something that can be experienced or understood through the five senses. Robert uses visual imagery in the poem, such as, "O my Love is like a red, red rose"," And the rocks melt wi' the sun", and "While the sands o' life shall run".

Assonance: 

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /i/ in "I will love thee still, my dear."

e. What is hyperbole? Explain its purpose citing examples of hyperbole used in the poem.

Ans: Hyperbole is a device used to exaggerate a statement for the sake of emphasis. The poet uses hyperbole in the last line of the second stanza, "Till a' the seas gang dry." He says that his love will flow even when the seas dry up. The third stanza uses the second hyperbole: "And the rocks melt wi' the sun." Hyperbole can be used for comic or dramatic effects, to create vivid images, or to convey intensity or emotion. In this poem, these hyperboles are used to create vivid images and show the speaker's limitless and profound love.

f. What is refrain? Why is it used in the poem? Explain citing an example from the poem.

Ans: The lines that are repeated at some distance in the poems are called refrains. It is used in the poem to place emphasis on a set of words or an idea within a poem. Refrains appear at regular intervals throughout a poem to create a unique rhyme scheme and give the poem its particular rhythm. In this poem, the line, "And I will love thee still, my dear", has become a refrain, as it is repeated in the second and the third stanzas. 

 Reference beyond the text

a. What kind of love is expressed in "A Red, Red Rose"?

Ans: The kind of love expressed in "A Red, Red Rose" is the accumulation of both romantic and platonic love. Romantic love is a form of feelings for another person that involves deep friendship and physical intimacy. A platonic love is a supremely affectionate relationship between human beings in which romantic intimacy does not keep any significance. At the poem's beginning, the poet expresses his romantic love for his beloved by comparing her to a rose and a sweet melody. He even admires her beauty. But in the later parts, his love for her turns platonic. It is because he promises his beloved to love her until his last breath, even if he is so far from her. His love for her is eternal and unconditional, like platonic love.

b. Do you think that love has power? Why do poets compose poems addressing their beloved?

Ans: Yes, love has absolute power. It is because the greatest love stories in human stories have proved that love can make people do anything. It can transform an ordinary moment into something magical. It has the power to give people the courage to lose everything for their loved ones. It is an unseen force that makes people commit crimes to get their beloved. 

Poets compose poems addressing their beloved to express their profound love, to make their love eternal, and to share their love experiences with the readers.

c. Poetry is the expression of feeling and emotions. Explain.

Ans: Poetry is the expression of feelings and emotions because it uses different poetic devices like rhyme, rhythm, simile, metaphor, imagery, symbol, refrain, hyperbole, etc. These devices profoundly affect the readers because they can easily appeal to them visually, auditorily, and emotionally. In a poem, the poet uses a multisensory experience to express his/her feelings and emotions. Imagery appeals to our sense of sight, rhythm and meter to sound, while similes and metaphors can combine several senses. Also, readers expect an emotional response to poetry as effective poetic techniques can evoke emotions. In fact, poetry is the platform that provides one a space to portray inner sentiments without any restrictions and boundaries. Therefore, poetry is the expression of feelings and emotions.