An Analysis of A Red, Red Rose

by Robert Burns

Composed by:

Alvrid Argianto AAA 117 007

Bella Oktariana AAA 117 006
Desihastuti Baastihu AAA 117 017
Epifania Alexia AAA 117 001
Kristinae Veronica Evitawanty AAA 117 013
Yoskapela AAA 117 016

ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM

TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACULTY
UNIVERSITY OF PALANGKA RAYA
2018
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Poetry is an art form in which language is mostly used as a mediator of

feelings and emotion. Many poets like to play with the sound of language or offer an
emotional insight by describing what they see in highly descriptive language. Thus,
poetry often makes the readers to feel what the author feels. Many people tend to think
that there is nothing essential in poetry. However, the truth is that every poem has a deep
message behind it, whether it is hidden or written. Being so, poetry becomes something
that we need to learn and analyze. To define poetry, there are characteristics that poetry
has, namely diction, the speaking tone of voice, figurative language, and values.
Accordingly, we are interested to learn more about poetry and this paper is aimed to find
out and analyze the diction, the speaking tone of voice, the figurative language, and the
message of one of the most famous poetries by Robert Burns entitled A Red, Red Rose.

1.2 Objectives of Analysis

 To find out the poet’s choice of words (diction)
 To describe the poet’s attitude toward the audience through the speaking tone of
voice used by the poet
 To describe the figurative language used in A Red, Red Rose
 To discuss the messages or moral values in A Red, Red Rose
1.3

ROBERT BURNS (1759-1796)

A Red, Red Rose

O, my luve is like a red, red rose

That’s newly sprung in June;
O, my luve is like the melodie
That’s sweetly played in tune.

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry. (all; go)

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

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

And fare thee weel, my only luve!

And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile!
 CHAPTER II
ANALYSIS OF A RED, RED ROSE

2.1 Diction
Robert Burns’ diction in A Red, Red Rose may be considered dialectical.
Based on Robert Burns’ background, Robert Burns was a Scottish poet. The selection of
words shows the linguistics characteristics of Scottish English. For example: fare thee
weel, my only luve (line ), Till a’ the seas gang dry (line )
A Red, Red Rose begins with passionate imagery of love, as noted in words
such as “red”, “rose”, “melody”, and “June”. The word “rose” symbolizes love, and the
word “red” suggests an excitement feeling of strong and passion. Therefore, Burns was
trying to tell the readers that his love to his lady was the kind of romantic feeling that was
strong and full of passion. The word “melodie” means the most important part in
harmonizing music. Burns also compared his lover to melody to show that his lover was
the most important part in his life. In addition, “June” is the month when summer starts
coming. Burns chose “June” instead of other months because “rose”, which was depicted
as his love, began to grow in June. It was new, fresh, fragrant, and beautiful in the
beginning of summer.
Furthermore, to help readers visualize how beautiful his lady was, Burns used
the word “bonnie.” In Scottish, the word “bonnie” means pretty and attractive. Bonnie is
often used as a nickname or a form of endearment towards a loved one.
Additionally, the diction to describe the longevity of his love includes “rocks
melt with the sun” and “the sands o’ life shall run”. Burns addresses her, proclaiming that
his love will stay still until the seas dry up and the rocks melt with the sun. For some
reasons, he has to go far away from her, but he promises to return even if he has to travel
thousands of miles to win her back. In other words, Burns noted that his love was a
lifetime being and would last forever.
2.2 Figurative Language

 Simile

The use of simile is spotted in first stanza stanza of the poetry A Red, Red Rose. The
comparisons of two things are made explicit by the employment of such connectives
as like

O, my luve is like a red, red rose

That’s newly sprung in June;
O, my luve is like the melodie
That’s sweetly played in tune.

In line 1-2 in the first stanza, Burns used “like” to compare his love with a red rose
that is sprung in June. A flower that has just grown from the grown is new and fresh.
Then, he defines his love is new and fresh.
In line 3-4 in the first stanza, Burns also used “like” to compare his love with the
melody. He used melody to identify the love that flows smoothly

 Hyperbole

Hyperbole is used to exaggerate the poet’s love expression. Based on this poetry,
there are three hyperboles used.

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a’ the seas gang dry. (second stanza, line 7-8)

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi’ the sun; (third stanza, line 9-10)
 And I will come again, my luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile! (fourth stanza, line 15-16)

According to line 7-8 in first stanza and line 9-10 in second stanza, the Poet expresses
that his love is so strong that it will not be vanishing until the seas gang dry or the
rocks melt wi’ the sun. This is an exaggeration made by the poet, since in the reality
none of the phenomena would be happened until the end of the world. In the fourth
stanza in line 15 – 16, the poet declares his final exaggerated promise that he will
return to her even though they have to be separated by distance, he will come back
again to his lady.

 Metaphor

A metaphor in Burns’poem occurs in the end of third stanza, in “the sand of life” line.

While the sands o’ life shall run. (third stanza, line 12)

The sands o’ life here compares the span of life to the running sands of hourglass.
There is an implication here that deserves recognition. Burns evokes the fact that
sooner or later our time will run out, just like the sand in hourglass. Therefore, no
matter how much he loves his lady, his time on earth will end.
3.2 The Speaking Tone of Voice

A Red, Red Rose’ is a poem that abounds in expressions of love and promises made
by a Scottish man to his beloved one. Through this poetry, the poet is speaking to his lady
about how much adores her beauty how devoted he is to her by expressing his
immeasurable love for her. Its tone goes hand in hand with the content. Since the poem is
primarily concerned with the speaker’s love for his significant other, audience can sense
the admiration and passion in the speaker’s voice. In the end of the last stanza, the poet
shows what happened between him and his lady. The separation between them makes a
light tone of fatality when he talks about going away from his lady, but in the moment,
that disappears and is replaced with a love-filled promise to return.

3.3 Messages and Moral Values

The message from the poem A Red, Red Rose that Robert Burns conveyed and
expressed is about his faithful love to Jean Armour, his lady. Although in a
condition where he was still close to her he suddenly went to Jamaica. He said
farewell goodbye to her and promised that he would come back again.