The speaker in "A Red, Red Rose" is a Scotsman addressing his beloved before he embarks on a journey. He first makes the general statement that his beloved is a like a beautiful red rose in full bloom and like a melody. He then uses apostrophe, or address, to speak to her before he leaves.
He reassures her of his love in stanza 2, saying she is so beautiful and he so deeply in love that he will love her until the seas dry up. In stanza 3, he continues to assure her that he will love her until the end of time. Finally, he says goodbye and tells her he will come back, even if he has to travel ten thousand miles to do so.
The direct address of the lover to his beloved, using terms such as "my dear," "my love," and "my bonnie lass," adds a sincerity and pathos to his story. We can imagine his beloved, who never speaks, pleading with him to be sure not to forget about her, and he doing his best to comfort her with his assurances of love.
We know the speaker is Scottish because of his use of dialect in such terms as "gang" for going and "bonnie lass" for pretty girl. This dialect adds a sense of intimacy to the poem.
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