Symbolism and metaphor appear in the love poem “Oh My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns. Various symbols are used to refer to other things or give other meanings. In the first line of the first stanza, the speaker says, “Oh, my love is like a red, red rose.” The red rose comes out as a symbol of love. For centuries, the red rose has been used to signify love in many cultures. The speaker goes ahead to say in the third line, “My love is like the melody.” Once again, ‘the melody’ comes out as a symbol of love. The speaker’s love is one that is sweet, just like the melody. The speaker uses these symbols to express the quality of his love for his beloved. The symbols bear strong messages and help to relay the speaker’s message.
Many metaphors also appear in the poem. In the eighth line, the speaker says, “Till the seas gang dry.” The ninth line says “And the rocks melt wi’ the sun” and the eleventh line says, “while the sands o’ life shall run.” The speaker says he will love his beloved till the seas dry up, until the rocks melt and until the sands of life run. The speaker is trying to express the depth of his love. It is impossible for the seas to go dry and all the rocks to melt. The speaker is implying that his love for his beloved is everlasting. He will love his beloved forever. The seas drying up and the rocks melting up are metaphors for an everlasting love. The sands of life represent a person’s time on earth. The speaker, therefore, plans to love his beloved till her death.
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References
Kennedy, X. J., Gioia, D. The Literature Collection, Pg.339.
