1. Symbolism & Imagery

2. “The Sick Rose”
Apostrophe – Addressing someone/something that is not there
O Rose thou art sick. The invisible worm, That flies in the night In the howling storm:
Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy: And his dark secret love Does thy life destroy.
Metaphor?
Proper Noun – a capitalised noun that has further meanings
What kind of bed?
Synesthesia – figurative language in which different sensory experiences are mixed (colour + feeling)
Personification

3. Story Boarding
Story board the poem, creating a pictorial image for each of the lines.
Think how could the language be interpreted and what each line symbolises.
The story board could be literal interpretations or figurative and abstract.

4. Has the meaning of the poem changed? What story is it telling?
‘O Rose thou art Sick’
‘The invisible worm’
‘That flies in the night’
‘In the howling storm:’
Has found out thy bed’
‘Of crimson joy’
‘And his dark secret love’
‘Does thy life destroy’
Has the meaning of the poem changed?
What story is it telling?

5. Symbol
Literal
Figurative
Rose
Sickness
Invisibility
Worm
Flies in the night
Howling storm
Bed
Crimson joy
Dark secret love
Life
Destroy

6. Interpretations
The lament of a saddened gardener upon the diseased and ruined roses in the garden – “O Rose thou art sick”
Politically, to a corrupt England and her vices – “Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy:”
How innocent love can be corrupted by a world of lust, resulting in immorality, sexual illness or unwanted pregnancy – “his dark secret love, Does thy life destroy”
A warning against infidelity and of the persuasive charms of men – “The invisible worm, That flies in the night”
Unrequited love which has destroyed the lover through longing – “And his dark secret love, Does thy life destroy.”

7. Essay Question
How does William Blake use symbolism and imagery in the poem, “The Sick Rose?”
Remember to include:
A conceptualised response & interpretations
Explanation of subject, tone, and themes
** Language analysis **
Techniques used, and their purpose/effect
Word connotations
Evidence, explanation, and analysis must all relate to the conceptualised response