A RED, RED ROSE

By Robert Burn
O my luve’s like a red, red rose. Iambic tetrameter
That’s new ly sprung in June, Iambic trimeter
O my luve’s like a melodie Iambic tetrameter
That’s sweet ly play’d in tune. Iambic trimeter

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, Iambic tetrameter

So deep in luve am I; Iambic trimeter
And I will love thee still, my Dear,
Till a’the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my Dear,

And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
I will luve thee still, my Dear,
While the sands o’life shall run.

And fare thee weel my only luve!

And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile!

First line and third line of each stanza are written in Iambic tetrameter. It consist of
unstressed syllable and followed by a stressed syllable.
The second and fourth line is Iambic trimeter which uses three stressed syllable.
Figurative language :
 Simile
Simile is comparison and substitution being made using the word “like” or
“as”. The simile in this poetry we can find it in the first line and first stanza
which is used a word “like”.

O my luve’s like a red, red rose.

In the first stanza, the speaker uses simile to compare his love with “a red
rose” that “newly sprung in June”. It gives the reader sense that his love is
fresh, new, and brightly just like a red rose. Than, speaker says “that newly
sprung in June”. A flower that has just grew from the ground, it is a new,
young and fresh. So, the speaker compare his love like a red rose.

O my luve’s like a melodie

In the first stanza line 3, the speaker compare his love again. He still using
simile to compare his love. He compare his love just like a melodie. As we
know melodie is something that is beautiful and sweet played in tone. So he
compare his love with a beautiful thing.

 Hyperbole

Second stanza :

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in luve am I;
And I will love thee still, my Dear,
Till a’the seas gang dry

In the this stanza the speaker was deeply falling in love with a girl and he
would still in love with the sweetheart forever. In this poem the speaker says
he will love thee untill the seas gone dry, better than “forever” or “all my
life”. This clearly shows hyperbole in which something shows abundantly.

Fourth stanza :
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile!
The hyperboles is strengthened in the last line. In this stanza the speaker
adresses his beloved, nothing that tough he must leave her for a while he
 will return for her even if he must travel ten thousand miles. It just support
and strengthen the real massages the writer wanted to deliver.

 Metaphore (third stanza)

This rhetorical device is used when a convert comparison is made between
Two different things.
While the sands o’life shall run.
In third stanza line 4, the poet uses the device of metaphor when he
compares his life with the sand of an hourglass, but never uses the words
“like” or “as” in the process.