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Rotation 6

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poem 1

Oh, my love is like a red, red rose

by Robert Burns

The poem Oh, my love is like a red, red rose by Robert Burns is a 4 verses poem that has 4 lines in each verse. The last word of line 2 and 4 in each verse rhymes, making it a pararhyme. This internal rhyme has a rhyme scheme of ABCA DEFD HIHI JKJK. The line breaks do not always end with a mark of punctuation. Lines 1 and 2 of verse 1 are a simile comparing love to a red rose in June. These two lines are saying that his love is beautiful and pleasing but fragile and that if handled in the wrong way can hurt you like roses thorns can hurt. This comparison produces the imagery of the sense of sight and smell. Also in the first line there is and alliteration “Red, red rose.” Lines 2 and 3 of the same verse compares to music, more specifically a melody in tune. These lines are suggesting that his love is almost melodic and smooth because it is so perfect in his eyes. Through out the first verse you never know whether he is talking about love or the woman that he is in love with. The first time he mentions the girl is in the second verse when he says she is beautiful. The last line of the second verse is repeated as the first line of the third verse. Both are simply stating that he will love this woman until there is no more water on earth, which is an extreme exaggeration and makes this a hyperbole. Also line three of verse 2 is repeated as line three in verse 3. Three times within verse three non-standard English that reflects the dialect of the speaker was used. Within verse three he promises to love no matter what happens and will love until the sands of time run out. In the fourth verse, the beginning of the first line repeats as the beginning of the second line and shows even though he loves her they must part but only for a while. In the last line of the fourth verse he shows the lengths to which he will go to love her.