"The Sick Rose" William Blake

O Rose thou art sick.
The invisible worm,
That flies in the night
In the howling storm:

Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy:
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy.

Poem: “The Sick Rose”                      Author: William Blake                       Date: 1789

Title:   The rose has become infected by a sickness that has caused corruption.

Paraphrase:   A narrator informs the rose that it has become sick by an invisible worm that came during the night. This worm stole its bed in the secrecy of love and destroyed the rose.

Details:           Symbols- A rose is not only the literal flower but a symbol of love. The worm has a complex symbol that alludes to the serpent from the Garden of Eden paralleling the devil and also a worm is an earthbound creature that is symbolic of death and decay.

                        Rhyme Scheme- ABCB DEFE is a short two beat cadence that foreshadows destruction

                        Personification- The rose is personified in the first line to reveal its humanity

                        Imagery- The worm flies in during the night painting a dark, eerie, secretive tone. Also there is a howling storm when the worm flies in which enhances the image of darkness.

                        Allegory- The Rose doesn’t know of its infection which parallels the concept that a secretive love doesn’t know its power of destruction.

                        Allusion- The reference to the worm and its darkness and secrecy makes people think back to the serpent in the Garden of Eden and its ability to manipulate others.

                        Foreshadowing- The presence of an invisible worm coming in the night emphasizes the obscurity of this worm.

Attitude:         dark, foreboding, secretive yet a sense of joy which brings upon shame.

Shift:               The first shift takes place after the first line when the narrator informs the Rose of its impending doom. This reveals the main problem of this play. The next 5 lines display what infected the Rose and how it has brought joy but shame. The last 2 lines reveal the secrecy of this tainted love and its effect of the Rose.

Title:               This rose was infected by the secrecy of love and has been made sick by the course of its actions.

Theme/Total Meaning:         The joyfulness of a tainted love results in corruption and shame that plagues love and makes it sick.