First Draft of Term Paper on Blake's"The Sick Rose" and "Ah! Sunflower."


A Critical Comparison of Two Poems: "The Sick Rose" and 
"Ah! Sun-Flower"

The two poems in question were written by William Blake, one of the earliest of the Romantic poets.  They reveal many 
of the characteristics of Romantic poetry: a concern with nature; an interest in "unseen" forces; the use of 
symbolism.  Since both poems deal with "flowers" of some sort, there is an obvious similarity between them.  However, 
this paper will argue that although the poems do share some similar features, there are also sharp and important 
differences between them.
     In each of the poems, a flower has been used to symbolise something.  In the case of "The Sick Rose," the rose 
appears to symbolise earthly love and beauty - and its sickness suggests that such things will fade and die with time.  
"Ah! Sun-Flower" uses the sun-flower as a symbol of life, and praises the devotion of the sun-flower in always facing 
God and following God's teachings.  In each case, the symbol is wrapped in a kind of mystery.  In "The Sick Rose" what 
is the "invisible worm" (line 2) that destroys the rose so terribly?  In "Ah! Sun-Flower," who are the Youth and 
the Virgin who are urged to arise from their graves and imitate the sun-flower?  
     In the first poem, the "invisible worm" could be evil or wickedness.  There is something almost spiteful 
in the lines:
		Has found out thy bed
		Of crimson joy,
		And his dark secret love
		Does thy life destroy.
				(5-8)
It is as though an evil being through his jealousy ("his dark secret love" - line 7) has destroyed love and 
beauty for no reason other than, perhaps, jealousy or selfishness.  This may be a reflection of life in 
the material world, where people struggle to gain possessions and hate the fact that other people may have more 
than them.  It also may reflect the idea that spiritual love is more valuable than earthly love.
     In the second poem, "Ah! Sun-Flower," the mystery of the Youth and the Virgin may also be explained in terms 
of spiritual and earthly love.  The Youth, it is indicated "pined away with desire" (line 5).  In other words, he
loved someone and he died because he could not have the woman he wanted.  Could that woman be the Virgin who 
was for some reason prevented from marrying him and now lies with cold snow on her grave?  It is a sad story but 
Blake seems to be saying that such earthly love leads only to unhappiness.  He urges the Youth and the Virgin 
in the last two lines of the poem to look towards God and heaven for real happiness.     
     Both poems are short -- each offers two four-line stanzas.  However the pace of the poems is very different.  
"The Sick Rose" uses two-stress lines; "Ah! Sun-Flower" uses three-stress lines.  This tends to give greater 
pace to the first poem: it is a faster poem.  In fact, the word "flies" in "The Sick Rose" suggests speed, 
while the word "weary" in "Ah, Sun-Flower" indicates tiredness and a slower pace of things.  The content of the 
poems further supports the idea of differing pace.  In the first poem, Blake is suggesting how rapidly things may be 
destroyed by the passage of time.  In the second poem, his emphasis is on the slowness of time, of the need to 
count steps and to travel on a journey before the happiness of heaven is achieved:

		Who countest the steps of the Sun,
		Seeking after that Sweet golden clime
		Where the traveller's journey is done
							(2-4)
While the first poem gains pace through its rhythm in order to emphasise how quickly the material world fades 
and is destroyed, the second poem may be suggesting the patience and concentration that is needed in order 
to achieve the kingdom of God.
     The differences in the language of the poems may be taken further.  The dominant images of "The Sick Rose" 
are destructive images: "the howling storm" (line 4), "secret love / Does thy life destroy" (lines 7-8).  The poem 
also refers to dark, powerful colours: "crimson joy" (line 6), "dark secret" (line 7).  By way of contrast, 
"Ah! Sun-Flower" offers less threatening images and emphasises the brightness of the Sun and the "sweet golden 
clime" (line 3).  
     In general, "Ah! Sun-Flower" seems to offer a more optimistic tone than does "The Sick Rose."  This 
is surprising, in some ways, because "Ah! Sun-Flower" talks openly about death, while the other poem does not.  
Yet, even though it does talk about death, it does so in an optimistic way suggesting not that death is an end 
but, rather, that there is hope for the Youth and the Virgin in the second stanza.  The sun-flower, by following the 
path of the sun, sets a symbolic example for all people.  We should look to God and heaven for happiness, not to 
earthly rewards and emotions.  "The Sick Rose," on the other hand, describes the destruction of earthly life but 
does not actually say that belief in God will bring joy.  In this respect it is a more negative poem and its tone 
seems darker and more pessimistic.
     In conclusion, it seems clear that the two poems share a number of similarities and difference.  Both poems are
successful in their different ways.  "The Sick Rose" is a more threatening and troubling poem.  Perhaps this is because 
it seeks to warn against the dangers of putting your faith in such temporary things as earthly love and beauty.  "Ah! 
Sun-Flower" is a more comforting poem, suggesting that a life of labour and devotion to God will eventually bring the 
reward of heaven.  
					
								(950 words)			

Things that still need to be done:

	*  Put the essay into full MLA style
	*  Include some quotations from critics





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