Analysis Of Oh, My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose By Robert Burns

There is no scarcity of material on the subject of love. It is an important part of how society has come to be what it is today—a gem that has continued to exponentially grow in value over the centuries. Yet despite all of the paragraphs upon paragraphs of discussion that comes along with the topic of love, it is hard to place a finger on what “love” actually is. It is not tangible—visible for anyone to see. It is known to make the rational irrational—known to make the strongest of individuals waver or the seemingly all-knowing blind to the truth. The idea of love can be described at times kind and peaceful, but at other times vicious and cruel. So, which one is love? Or is love an ever-changing concept? Needless to say, there are numerous suggestions or beliefs concerning the idea. But amongst many of the

Burns achieves this through usage of simile, repetition, and hyperbole. The speaker first utilizes simile by comparing his love to a “red, red rose” and later to a “melodie / that’s sweetly play’d in tune” (Burns 928). By doing so, the speaker establishes how entrancing his love is. The phrase “red, red rose” also uses repetition of the word “red” to establish the striking appearance of his lover; she is exotic in the speaker’s eyes. This is significant because it hints at the idea that the speaker is mesmerized by his lover; he values her greatly. His love for her is further emphasized through hyperbole. The speaker outwardly states that he “will luve” his lover until “the seas gang dry” and “the rocks melt wi’ the sun,” implying that his love will be everlasting (Burns 928). The phrases themselves—although exaggerated—signifies the strength of the speaker’s adoration for his lover and is another example of profound love. His love is greater than mortal limitations—transcending the limits of the average human