The Sick Rose by William Blake

Full Text

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.

Overview

A brief allegory of corruption: beauty is undermined by a hidden, destructive force that poses as love.

Line-by-Line Analysis

Lines 1-4

The rose is directly addressed and declared ill; the cause is an unseen worm.

Lines 5-8

The worm invades the rose’s place of joy, and the “secret love” becomes lethal.

Themes

• Corruption
• Hidden danger
• Innocence lost
• Desire

Literary Devices

Symbolism

Rose and worm — The rose suggests beauty or innocence; the worm suggests decay or destructive desire.

Alliteration

dark secret love — Sound intensifies the sinister tone.

Historical Context

Blake’s Songs of Experience explores how innocence is undermined by social and psychological forces.