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Comment 30 of 60, added on November 3rd, 2005 at 7:09 AM.
I am quite shock by ron's interpretation... I think the poet is referring to love and not at all by a rape. The rose, universal symbol of love, is being sick because of society who sees sexual intercourse as something evil but love also included natural sex. The two characters are ashamed of what they are doing ("night", "invisible worm") because it is not conformed to the society they live in... The poet is feeling in danger ( a lot of hard sound).
@@@ from France
Comment 29 of 60, added on November 2nd, 2005 at 11:15 PM.
a good poem. It is very powerful. Intrinsict work
anonymous from Bahrain
Comment 28 of 60, added on October 15th, 2005 at 12:10 AM.
I have much the same view on this poem as other commenters, that the peom is reffering to unwanted sex. However I feel that it need not only be the molestation of a child that is being described, but simply all manners in which men seek out and get sex which is not freely given. It i smost certaintly about a female being forced by a male, which is made clear by the words 'rose' and 'worm'. If you look at the comment made be Ron of United States, most of his comments are true. However, I feel Blake is referring to not only molestation but rape and the pressuring of woman to give herself to the man she is with. It is interesting to note that it is her that is made "sick' in the eyes of society, where as the worm who did this to her is 'invisible'. It is also sad that he destroys her life, and I think the reader is suppose to feel complete and total disgust for the worm, which I'm sure we all do. Perhaps Ron you could try and think of whether my comment has any bearing.
Robyn from South Africa
Comment 27 of 60, added on October 5th, 2005 at 10:19 PM.
1 O Rose, thou art sick!
Begins with a statement of fact.
2 The invisible worm
Is now referring to the penis of a visitor.
3 That flies in the night,
Comes in darkness to a child’s room.
4 In the howling storm,
Sudden changes in her life.
5 Has found out thy bed
Has found discovered her vulnerable
6 Of crimson joy:
Reference to the adult context, for the reader.
7 And his dark secret love
Ugly selfish passion of the perpetrator.
8 Does thy life destroy.
It most certainly does.
The meaning is ambiguous to most people, but to those who have been with a molested child as an adult, no other interpretation is possible. The harm is unthinkable, all the healing models we use do not work when the victim is a young child, and the spouse is a victim as well. The harm often goes beyond their generation. “Does thy life destroy,” is written with terrible conviction.
Ron from United States
Comment 26 of 60, added on September 25th, 2005 at 10:17 AM.
Wow I didn't really understand the poem until I read all these comments, so much interpretation from such a small poem, i first heard about it when it was made reference in a song, called Dark Sekret Love, so I decided to check it out, im amazed with Blake's poems...
Sophie from United States
Comment 25 of 60, added on September 14th, 2005 at 7:14 PM.
when i first read this poem. it truly did open up to me.
my favorite line was,"Of crimson joy;
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy."
this line just made me think how frighten these days must have been.and it probably killed the wives not to know that they're *ffing husbands we're such horny little f*cks. its just so pathetic to see this, yet i really acknowledge this poem and william blake for his truth and understanding of this pathetic world he is living in.
ailan from United States
Comment 24 of 60, added on August 31st, 2005 at 6:23 PM.
well, when i first read this poem it was like an entire story was unfolding before me. i think part of my guesswork is just from my imagination. but i thought of the sick rose as a woman, and the worm as not a man but an emotion, depression. i thought that she was depressed because she is not in love, or that if she is then her love does bot feel the same way for her in return.the howling storm could be all the side emotions whirling around in her head, just so confusing that it seems like her brain is howling, completely chaotic.
the next lines, has found thy bed of crimson joy... she may be trying to satisfy herself by immorality, just sleeping with any man she can, but it is really tearing her apart because it can't satisfy her want of true love and is only making her feel worthless, and is ultimately destroying her life.
Rubie from United States
Comment 23 of 60, added on August 31st, 2005 at 1:31 PM.
I would simply like to add an additional layer to this fine poem of Blake's. A sexual metaphor it might be, as well as a social commentary, but Blake was also a visionary and a mystical master. The rose is present in much western spiritual allegory. Since the alledged aim of the Songs was to show the two contrary states of the human soul, it only makes sense to contemplate this work as a spiritual message as well. In fact, reading the sexual and the spiritual together, can we not envision Blake's plan for liberation?
Like much great work, this poem can be taken on many levels. The important thing to consider, in my opinion, is the possibility of a comprehensive meaning intended by the author.
Kristoff Olafsson from Norway
Comment 22 of 60, added on August 30th, 2005 at 2:55 PM.
Sheffield Gayphone Helpline have been sexually harrassing its callers and has been dropped by National Friend (An umberella group for gay helplines).
The helpline has been found to be frauding the Authorities of £2000 a year in grants after it has been revealed it doesn't have a proper complaints procedure (a condition of the grant). Complaints forwarded to them have simply been ignored.
They have also been accused of issuing Death Threats to a British Actor.
Jadie Robinson from Canada
Comment 21 of 60, added on May 9th, 2005 at 2:26 PM.
This poem is subject to various interpretations. The rose can be viewed as a woman, her virginity, England, innocence, beauty or life. The worm can be viewed as a serpent, disease, a penis, a man deflowering a virgin,sin, lust, the British Government corrupting England, or death. The only aspect of the poem that is stable is that the "rose" is positive and the "worm" is negative.
Jean Harmon from Canada
This poem has been commented on more than 10 times. Click below to see the other comments.
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I am quite shock by ron's interpretation... I think the poet is referring to love and not at all by a rape. The rose, universal symbol of love, is being sick because of society who sees sexual intercourse as something evil but love also included natural sex. The two characters are ashamed of what they are doing ("night", "invisible worm") because it is not conformed to the society they live in... The poet is feeling in danger ( a lot of hard sound).
@@@ from France