An allegory is a poem, story, painting, or something else that contains some kind of hidden or vaguely concealed meaning. With that out of the way, let's talk about possible allegorical interpretations of William Blake's poem "The Sick Rose."

We could say that this poem is an allegory for the corruption of innocence. We could argue that the beautiful, lovely rose has been corrupted by "the invisible worm." As Blake tells us, the worm has "found out thy bed / Of crimson joy." What does the evil worm do to the innocent rose? It destroys it.

In connection with the corruption of innocence allegory, we might also write about how the poem is an allegory for how fragile and vulnerable the rose/innocence is. If an "invisible worm" can "destroy" the rose, then what does it say about the strength of the rose/innocence? Should we as a society try harder to protect such innocence, or should we empower it to acquire the strength to better combat evil on its own?

We might also see the poem as an allegory for the strength of lust and sexual desire. In this possible interpretation, the worm represents lust. Look at how it "flies in the night" through a "howling storm." We might say that the passionate, beastly language connects to the sexual nature of the poem.

Another way to interpret the sexual allegory is by looking at how desire and lust is often talked about as a sickness or disease. Maybe the rose is "sick" on its own account. Since the worm is invisible, maybe the rose is inventing the worm as a way to avoid confronting its own passion. Perhaps the rose is not as pure as some might assume.