Go, Lovely Rose!, a poem by the English poet Edmund Waller, is one of the most famous love lyrics in the English language.
“Go, Lovely Rose!” was published in 1645, in Waller’s first printed collection, Poems. However, he probably wrote the poem in the 1620’s, when he was a young man. Typically for this period, this poem, along with several others by Waller, circulated for many years before publication.
Go, lovely rose! Tell her that wastes her time and me, That now she knows, When I resemble her to thee, How sweet and fair she seems to be. Tell her that’s young, And shuns to have her graces spied, That hadst thou sprung in deserts where no men abide, Thou must have uncommended died. Small is the worth Of beauty from the light retired; Bid her come forth, Suffer herself to be desired, And not blush so to be admired. Then die! that she The common fate of all things rare May read in thee; How small a part of time they share That are so wondrous sweet and fair!
The poet here uses the rose, a traditional symbol for beauty, to remind his beloved that life is short and impermanent. He asks the rose, to whom he “resembles” (compares) his lady, to speak for him. There is a poignancy in the poet’s address to the flower, as if the lady will heed the rose more than him. The poet argues that beauty has no worth unless it is allowed to “come forth” to be recognized. Similarly, the poem suggests, she who does not allow herself to be loved is “wasting” the short time given to her. This lyric is especially touching because it does not portray a lady who resists out of fickleness or vanity. Rather, it suggests someone whose genuine “blushes” indicate a failure to understand her own worth.
“Go, Lovely Rose!” is Waller’s most famous poem, but in many ways it is not typical of his work. Much of his poetry concerns public themes and prominent figures. His perfection of the verse couplet (two-line unit) was an important influence on the Augustan poets of the 1700’s. The Augustan poets used polished, formal verse styles and heroic themes. But Waller’s mastery of verse forms is seen even in this more intimate lyric. The careful structure of iambic rhythm (alternating stressed and unstressed syllables) and flowing rhyme adds to the lyric’s expressive effect. The poet’s skillful blend of formal balance and personal feeling makes “Go, Lovely Rose!” one of the most beautiful poems of its kind.
For more information about Waller, see Waller, Edmund.
