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Comment 17 of 67, added on April 5th, 2005 at 9:55 PM.
Thank you all for your comments. I now understand what this poem means and it what it meant to me.
Lampada from United States
Comment 16 of 67, added on April 1st, 2005 at 5:59 PM.
William Blake is talking about being eaten up by guilt. He is talking about how wrong it is to feel bad about behaving in a natural way that brings joy, about feeling guilty for defying conventional morality and the strictures of the church. Don't get too worked up on the feminist thing or the virginity idea, those aren't really in these lines at all.
steve wicht from United States
Comment 15 of 67, added on March 12th, 2005 at 4:07 PM.
the sick rose is talking about how a young lady is being deflowered and ashamed for letting herself go through her devirginizing.
alexis from Italy
Comment 14 of 67, added on March 8th, 2005 at 2:54 PM.
One of my Blakian pet hates is this poem and contemporary criticisms fascination on analysing it as sex and love gone wrong. This is by no means correct (though, by rights, could be).
The rose is a symbol of many, many things, not just of love and beauty.
To give one opinion, given the political poise on Blake's writings at this time, the Rose could be representative of England. The worm, in this time period, was another way of refering to a serpent; which of course has the biblical reference ot the Garden of Eden, corruption of Adam and Eve and the devil.
Given Blake's disillusionment with it, it is reasonable to say this is possibly an attack on the established church at the time, accusing of it acting like a canker on a rose: corrupting Britain from the centre before it blooms. Which, of course, is pretty much what he believed.
With so many comments claiming in black and white that the rose refers to a women or love, it's important to be reminded that this is not only one of Blake's shortest poems, but, by most people's thoughts, his most complicated.
My advice for analysing this poem: Kind an open mind and never foget there is no correct answer. When answering an exam, it is a good idea to show you're aware of this, even if you're answer only focuses on on interpretation.
Chris from United Kingdom
Comment 13 of 67, added on March 1st, 2005 at 1:29 PM.
The fact that this poem is entitled “The Sick Rose” suggests that even a creation as beautiful as a rose can be corrupted and tempted. The thorns on the stem of a rose remind us that love and beauty are not always accessible.This poem is about love, and how it can effect a person for good or for bad.
tgp from United Kingdom
Comment 12 of 67, added on February 5th, 2005 at 4:10 PM.
I agree with Elizabeth from USA, the poem definately deals with death. In particular, age. The "rose", which represents beauty has aged, withered, and is now "sick"... about to die. This poem comments on the limited time that material things have on earth. Beauty is wonderful, but physical beauty only last so long.
Princess102 from Canada
Comment 11 of 67, added on February 1st, 2005 at 7:30 PM.
the rose is a woman and more importantly the rose is her virginity. The "invisible worm" is a man who cunningly convinces this innocent woman to give herself to him. He is primitive and barbaric and cares not about this woman but about her virginity. He wants to mark his territory ...kinda like a dog when it pees in a million diffrent places just so it can leave its secent. The woman realizes after they have sex that she has been taken advantage of and is ashamed that she enjoyed it...
this is not my real name from United States
Comment 10 of 67, added on January 27th, 2005 at 10:55 AM.
it wasnt good
age from United States
Comment 9 of 67, added on January 19th, 2005 at 10:09 AM.
The poem was a marvelous work of lust and desire. It shows how one man can ruin a womens life.
Jake from United States
Comment 8 of 67, added on January 7th, 2005 at 4:53 AM.
i find this poem an attention-grabing one.it implies a woman being fooled by a somebody. It could be that she feel sick because of shame. it was hard for her to know the truth that the guy she loved never really loved her in return.She was so convinced at first that the guy truly loves her and later discover that she was being fooled. It was late for she had surrender her being a woman to the said guy. She loses something precious , her virginity. She regret of what she had done. She felt pity for herself.The last line emplies destruction and end of ones life. it also implis that the woman's faith was shaking. it was really hard for her to recover.however, i find hope in the first line of the poem. Someone still loves and respect her despite of shameful things that happen to her...
reche amolato from Philippines
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Copyright © 2003-2008 Gunnar Bengtsson, Poetry Connection. All Rights Reserved.
Thank you all for your comments. I now understand what this poem means and it what it meant to me.
Lampada from United States