A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey



A rose has thorns as well as honey,
I'll not have her for love or money;
An iris grows so straight and fine,
That she shall be no friend of mine;
Snowdrops like the snow would chill me;
Nightshade would caress and kill me;
Crocus like a spear would fright me;
Dragon's-mouth might bark or bite me;
Convolvulus but blooms to die;
A wind-flower suggests a sigh;
Love-lies-bleeding makes me sad;
And poppy-juice would drive me mad: -
But give me holly, bold and jolly,
Honest, prickly, shining holly;
Pluck me holly leaf and berry
For the day when I make merry.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

31 sec read
49

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBAAAACCDDAAAA
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 566
Words 104
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 16

Christina Georgina Rossetti

Christina Georgina Rossetti was an English poet who wrote various romantic, devotional, and children's poems. "Goblin Market" and "Remember" remain famous. She wrote the words of two Christmas carols well known in the UK: "In the Bleak Midwinter", later set by Gustav Holst and by Harold Darke, and "Love Came Down at Christmas", set by Harold Darke and by other composers. more…

All Christina Georgina Rossetti poems | Christina Georgina Rossetti Books

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    Which of these famous poems is written in villanelle form?
    A Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
    B Funeral Blues
    C Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
    D The Owl And The Pussycat