When you live on the borders of the sea and the land, chances are you're not going to have too much company – after all, you never know when you're going to get washed away! Sure, this poem is about a rose (but wait, roses can't feel isolated, can they?) but it's not full of warm, fuzzy descriptions of gardens and kittens and little girls with ribbons in their hair. Nope, this poem is all about the strength of a single bloom, alone in the wilderness.
Questions About Isolation
- Is this rose actually isolated? How can you tell?
- Why do you think the speaker compares this rose to two other roses? How do you think this rose stacks up?
- How would you describe the landscape where this rose grows?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Although this rose seems to be cut off from all life, it's actually more a part of nature than the other two roses described here.
The sea rose allegorizes a woman who, like the rose, is caught between sea and land, without a community of her own.