Go Lovely Rose: An Explication

Topic Sentence 1: The lover has emphasized sweetness and loveliness of his lady by comparing her to rose. Proof 1: He seems to be disappointed by the fact that his warm love has not been requited by the lady he loves. His impassioned address to the rose – “Go, lovely Rose” – is an instance of apostrophe, a figure of speech effectively used. This comparison not only highlights the lady’s beauty, it also underscores its fragility. Proof. 2. It is the philosophy of hedonism that preached here.

The pleasures of human life are indeed short-lived; so lovers should not waste valuable time in prolonged courtship.

They should confess their love and accept the bliss of love. He is full of regret that her shyness does nothing but “wastes her time and me,” (l. 2) Proof 3. The poet reminds his beloved that death is the inevitable end of everybody’s life, therefore they should live fully and happily before death can seize them. His contemplative mood reminds him of the fact that each day brings all creatures closer to the grave.

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The rose which symbolizes beauty and sweetness may remind her of the common fate of all living creatures: “Then die — that she …May read in thee;”(ll. 16-18) A realization of this kind may change her mind and requite his love. Topic Sentence 2 : He urges the lady to enjoy the warmth of attention she is receiving from her lover rather than feel embarrassed by it. It is a pity that she “shuns to have her graces spied”(l.

7) He argues that her beauty would have been wasted if she lived in a desert. Then there would be no one to appreciate her beauty. The existence of beauty is only justified if there are viewers to admire it. Proof. 1. The Puritanical coyness of the ladylove seems to be an impediment to the fulfillment of his love and it only deepens his gloom.

Living in isolation may make her more covetable and attractive, but it is unwise “not blush so to be admired. ” (l. 15) The etymological meaning of the word “blush” is to “redden” which is derived from the Middle English blusshen, from Old English blyscan to redden, according Merriam-Webster Dictionary. The red color is associated with a lady in love and also with rose which is often chosen by lovers as a gift to express their love. Proof. 2. In this poem we find the recurrent theme of carpe diem reinforced as in John Donne’s “To His Coy Mistress” and other poems.

Even the things “wondorous sweet and fair” (l. 20 ) are not beyond the jurisdiction of ageing and death. Proof 3. The lover asserts that beauty is useless unless there is some one to admire it. Her beauty would have gone unnoticed if she were born and brought up in a desert. The beauty of human form is revealed by light and therefore it would be unwise to conceal it by blushing as he says, “not blush so to be admired. ” (l. 15) Topic Sentence 3: He reminds his coy mistress that it is a privilege to be the object of male attention, and it is wise not to spurn it.

Proof 1: In the final stanza he reiterates the central theme of carpe diem – human life is short, therefore enjoy it. He makes an appeal to her to “Suffer herself to be desired” (l. 14) and not to withdraw from public gaze out of false modesty. The metaphor of light and darkness is very apt. Beauty is hidden in darkness; similarly love is marred by its concealment. As light reveals beauty, so love is denied by withdrawal. Lovers should express their feelings spontaneously. Proof 2: If we think of eternity, the span of human youth and beauty is indeed very brief.

The span of human life is indeed short. Even three scores and ten or more is a very brief period to fulfill one’s desires. Reflection on the fleeting nature of the life one should make one conscious of its limitations and lead to a meaningful life in which there is no time to waste. Proof 3: The rose is a beautiful flower with sweet fragrance, but it is also short-lived. It stands for the beauty as well as vulnerability of life. The use of the word “resemble” to mean “compare” is archaic according to Merriam-Webster 11th Collegiate Dictionary.

Conclusion: The lover in the poem (not necessarily the poet) attempts to persuade his lady to share his positive outlook on life and enjoy life to the brim. He is very modern in outlook. What he says is better appreciated in the twentieth or twenty-first centuries. Closing statement: The message to the lady is a universal one: every lover feels that lovers should not suppress their feelings under the cover of social respectability. They must not delay their decision to choose their mate as human life may not grant him or her another opportunity.

Restate thesis: The poem explores a lover’s complaint to his lady about the need for eschewing her coyness and reciprocate his love by responding quickly as human life is ephemeral. Human life should be lived happily and meaningfully in which there is no scope for wasting time in vain modesty.

Work Cited

1. Waller, Edmund. “Go, Lovely Rose”. http://classicpoetryaloud. podomatic. com/entry/2007-12-04T00_24_07-08_00 (The text of the poem. Accessed on 12/29/08) Merriam-Webster 11th Collegiate Dictionary. 2003. Version 3. 0 (CD-ROM) 29-Dec-08