Love is like the wild rose-briar,
Friendship like the holly-tree —
The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms
But which will bloom most constantly?
The wild-rose briar is sweet in the spring,
Its summer blossoms scent the air;
Yet wait till winter comes again
And who will call the wild-briar fair
Then scorn the silly rose-wreath now
And deck thee with the holly’s sheen,
That when December blights thy brow
He may still leave thy garland green.
Love is like the wild rose-briar,
Friendship like the holly-tree —
The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms
But which will bloom most constantly?
The first stanza of Emily Bronte’s number 128 poem labeled “Love and Friendship” by Charlotte Bronte captures the irreconcilable differences that Emily is having between a friendship and love. The whole poem is a conceit in which the wild rose briar is “like love” and the “holly tree” resembles a “friendship.” It appears that the speaker is contemplating which is better. The speaker may be in love but the potential lover could usurp the friendship. The speaker appears to making arguments or a list of pros and cons as to what she must do and if she should proceed in developing a more personal relationship with the person she loves or keep the friendship which has a stronger bond.
The Term Paper on Love: affection and friendship
How can it be? I don't understand. It can't last forever, but they still want girlfriends. What drives them to wanting a significant other? Is it pride, do they just covet, or perhaps it's because they see that others have girlfriends and they feel almost pressured (I personally think it's a combination). If they wanted a girlfriend for the reason of pride would that not mean that their own pride, ...
A rose has thorns and if it represents love for the speaker, it means that love can cause pain. It is also “wild” which implies that “love” to the speaker is unmanageable and uncontrollable at times. In the second line, “friendship” is compared to a “holly tree.” The holly tree has a good foundation and is a slow growing tree. This is perhaps what the speaker is suggesting about friendship. Friendship has a good foundation and grows stronger over time. It is also a tree that can be bent but not easily broken which is similar to a friendship in that friends may disagree or have arguments. The difference in opinions may bend like the holly tree branch but it does not break, whereas love or the “rose briar” is easier to die or kill. Love like the “wild rose briar” cannot be tamed and can cause the speaker pain so the speaker seems to be contemplating whether it is worth the risk.
The next two lines in the poem demonstrates the beauty of both friendship and love. When the speaker says “the holly is dark when the rose briar blooms,” it seems that the speaker thinks that if she the love or “rose briar” is blooming then the friendship or “holly” is affected and pushed out of the light. When the “holly” or “friendship” is removed from the light, it cannot grow and remains distant. The “dark” represents distance and infers that it is in the background somewhere. Meanwhile, the rose briar is blooming and front and center. The blooming represents that the rose briar is near and in the light because plants like love need light or attention to grow. The speaker emphasizes her dilemma by asking a question at the end of the stanza wondering which one; love or friendship will be best over time. The question mark at the end of the stanza represents the speaker’s own internal question: should she choose the friendship or love of another.
The wild-rose briar is sweet in the spring,
Its summer blossoms scent the air;
The Essay on Garden Of Love Speaker Life One
William Blake's "Garden of Love" In William Blake's Garden of Love, published in 1794, the speaker shows that from day one of any persons life, nothing remains uniform. That life is always in a state of change, disarray, and inconsistency. The speaker tries to do this by bringing you to a state of being and realization of the church, nature, and sentimental meaning. He accomplishes this task ...
Yet wait till winter comes again
And who will call the wild-briar fair
The next stanza starts out by listing the benefits of the rose briar. This is also a metaphor for love. The speaker says that the “wild rose briar is sweet in spring.” What this indicates is that the smells and feeling that the rose gives the speaker is “sweet.” This represents that love may be short lived in that it in only blooms in the “spring and summer.” The mention of seasons indicates that the speaker feels that love may not last very long. However, it is very sweet, wild and may be worth the prick of the thorn or the pain that love may cause. The mention of winter indicates time and death. In winter the rose briar will die and will not be able to be called “fair.” This is true of a broken relationship. When love dies, it may also be ugly and unfair. Meanwhile, the holly tree may survive the cold like a friendship, can survive without constant nurturing and intimacy. The speaker indicates that she does not feel that love can last forever and that it is only a matter of time before it will die like the rose briar. The speaker is still confused because she sees that the friendship or the “holly tree” will be more constant but she still focuses on the “rose briar” because in this stanza the speaker she only gives name to it. The speaker starts the stanza by listing the good things about the rose briar and ends with the logical conclusion of a love that has died in a short time. This indicates that the speaker is trying to talk herself out of the love that she already feels but it is difficult for her which is indicated by the positive aspects of the rose briar and the fact that she started the stanza not about the strong holly tree but about the prickly “wild rose briar.” She feels as if she has to make a choice between the two and it is still a difficult choice to make.
At the end, it appears that the speaker will choose love even if it will cause pain to herself or to the deeply rooted friendship. She hopes in earnest that the friendship will survive the lack of light or nurturing because the last line indicates that if love dies the “garland” will remain. It appears as if the speaker hopes that the friend and the lover will become friends because she says “deck thee with holly’s sheen.” This indicates that the speaker is hoping that love and friendship can intertwine like holly to the rose briar. This could also be an indication of memories, as well. Perhaps even if the rose briar or love dies, the memories of the experience will still be there. In essence, if the rose briar or love dies, the speaker will always hold on to the memories of that spring and summer when love or the “rose briar” scent was in the air.
The Essay on “Briar Rose” by Anne Sexton – Analysis
Anne Sexton completely altered the fairy tale, Briar Rose. The original tale was a straight forward story that can lead the reader to come up with a moral. It was one that also had a happy ending. When Anne Sexton tells us her version of Briar Rose, she immediately begins by giving the reader a view of what Briar Rose’s sleep is like. She tells us of how Briar Rose feels, and gives the ...
