Wednesday, 29 February 2012

The Sick Rose by William Blake



                 The Sick Rose

After reading this poem, I try to understand why the poet gives the poem titled “The Sick Rose”. From the poem, especially the selection of words reviewed the range of contradictory and complementary meanings. The rose symbolizes lots of things which related in our daily life.  It can be beauty, perfection, passion…etc.  It shares the common motifs of death and destruction in the collection, telling of a rose that has reached the end of its lifespan in the advent of the creeping winter.

This poem can be applied in a literature classroom, it is easy to understand and students will have fun in learning literature.  How to get students’ to love poetry? How to get their attention to our lesson? These questions always appear in my mind when preparing a lesson.  I am a primary school teacher and I never teach poetry in my language classroom. But one day if I am given a chance to teach a poem in my lesson, “The Sick Rose” will be my choice.

First, I will pose an illustration or picture to get my students discuss and talk about the picture shown based on their understanding. Then will get the student to read the poem and play with the words by guessing its meaning or searching the meaning from dictionary. Lastly, relate their findings to daily experience.

I choose this poem because it can use to relate and give different references like the darker side of human nature, and the death resulting from it.  The rose is slowly dismantled by a number of factors – “the invisible worm” and “the howling storm” in which the rose doesn’t stand a chance.  The “crimson joy” could be a symbol of passion and love.  It represents the bloodshed in the loss of virginity.  This may also suggest an affair, shown by the word joy.

Conclusion, reading and learning literature is fun.



1 comment:

  1. Your students must love you, with such passion for language and reading. We don't find many like you these days.

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