Student Question
How does the simplicity of language in "A Red, Red Rose" appeal to readers?
Quick answer:
The simplicity of language in "A Red, Red Rose" appeals to readers by conveying sincerity and relatability. Burns uses straightforward and direct expressions to communicate deep love, making the emotions accessible and genuine. The poem's use of common symbols, like the red rose, ensures it resonates with a broad audience. Aimed at common folk, the ballad form and simple imagery allow the poem to be easily understood and appreciated, enhancing its emotional impact and popularity.
Simplicity almost always projects a sense of sincerity, and readers tend to love sincerity. The simplicity of Burns's speaker's words (though the Scottish dialect can be difficult for some) helps convince us that he is speaking directly from the heart. This helps convince us that he truly loves his beloved, and this love lifts our own spirits. For instance, the speaker says,
So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ [all] the seas gang [go] dry.
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Burns doesn't just intend his poems to be read; he wants them to be recited out loud at large social gatherings, in common with the standard conventions of the day. "A Red, Red Rose," like many of Burns' poems, is a ballad: a form of folk verse that can be set to music. As a self-proclaimed "people's poet," Burns is particularly attracted to the ballad form, as he wants his work to speak directly to the common folk among whom he grew up and who make up most of his intended audience.
That being the case, Burns uses standard imagery in "A Red, Red Rose." He uses the red rose, a commonly-understood symbol of romantic love, knowing that it will strike an instant chord with his readers and listeners. Most of the common folk listening to or reading the poem will have responded immediately to Burns' simple language and homely imagery, relating them directly to their own experience.
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How does the simplicity of "A Red, Red Rose" appeal to Burns's readers?
The red rose has long been a symbol of love. On Valentine's Day, it's customary for men to send a dozen red roses to their wives or girlfriends. In Burns's day, too, the red rose was associated with romantic love in the popular imagination. Burns wanted this poem, as with all his works, to have the widest possible audience. He wanted his poetry to be read not only by a small literary elite, but by the ordinary people, the common folk, those of a similar background to Burns himself. So in writing "A Red, Red Rose," Burns deliberately uses a symbol to which just about everyone can relate. There's no attempt here at complex symbolism; Burns wants to keep things as simple as possible without sacrificing lyrical intensity.
One should also bear in mind that, though much anthologized as a poem, the piece was originally written as a song. Burns deliberately set out to write a popular song that would be loudly sung by common folk the length and breadth of his native Scotland. And what better way to achieve popular success for a love song than by the use of a symbol that everyone can immediately understand?
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