The Sick Rose

Posted by: Josef Essberger

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. William Blake 1757-1827 — So the question is: What is “the invisible worm that flies in the night”? You may also […]

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.

William Blake 1757-1827

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So the question is: What is “the invisible worm that flies in the night”?

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Posted by Josef Essberger December 2007
Contributor: Josef Essberger, founder of EnglishClub. Originally from London, England, Josef is the author of several books for learners of English including English Prepositions List and Learn English in 7.

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19 comments

• Maria snow says:
  

  The name of the invisible worm that flies in the night is ‘doubt’ and that is what this poem means

• Bushra Al-meshal says:
  

  The poem begins with apostrophe “O ROSE” and he personifies it by calling it sick. At one level it’s about flowers and insects and how the worm spoil the beauty of flower. At another level the rose stands for beautiful women who are corrupted by illicit relationship. The form for this poem is two quatrains rhyme ABCB . it’s middle English language and taken from William Blacke “ song of Experience” . The them is anything is beautiful and its indulges in corruption brings ruin and death.

  Figurative Speech :

  O Rose : apostrophe
  Art sick : personification ( addressing unloving thing to a living thing, the ability to be sick)

  Worm : symbol for corruption .
  Night: symbol for something hiding, secret and dark.
  Howling storm : something bad .
  Crimson joy: refer to both sexual pleasure and shame .

• John says:
  

  The poem alludes to syphilis, it was, sadly, a very widespread disease in eighteenth century London with no cure until the discovery of penicillin in the twentieth century. Yes, the “crimson bed of joy” does indeed refer to the female sexual organs, whether we like it or not. Blake was very aware of the darker side of London life (“and so the youthful harlot’s curse/blasts the new-born infant’s tear/and blights with plagues the marriage hearse”); a true visionary in a rational age.

• svetlana says:
  

  Thank you for the short but unforgettable list of poems in english.I wish it was longer.

• Xiaoyi says:
  

  Hollywood’s comment is quite novel,and I like it!

• سینا .sina says:
  

  invitation

• ammulu says:
  

  poems are very nice!

• jamie says:
  

  A father and daughter relationship is supposed to be about togetherness, love and talking about your problems but some fathers are deadbeats dads who doesn’t care about thier daughters and don’t respect their ex wife and get a girlfriend and exspects his children to accept her but those children will die before they accept that woman who is destroying the fathers and daughters relationship is so bad how the father isn’t feel bad about what he did i should know it happened to me and i came out a little bit weaker because i couldn’t stand up to my father

• razan says:
  

  how can

• reem says:
  

  i think that its his soul

• Mr.master says:
  

  I have no home..
  No money no car..
  But I have everything..
  Because I have a frined indeed..
  In the dark night..
  I have a light indeed..
  I never be scared..
  Because I have a true friend..
  If the all people against me..
  I never run away..
  Because I have a real friend.

• jojo says:
  

  how can i listening

• Katie says:
  

  This my fav poem ever!!

• Beth B. says:
  

  Those English literature professors always have their mind in the gutter… William Blake is simply talking about blight that damages his beautiful roses:
  Botrytis infections (a type of blight) are favored by cool, rainy spring and summer weather usually around 15C (60F). Gray mold can be particularly damaging when rainy, drizzly weather continues over several days.

• Linda k Hollywood says:
  

  The invisible worm that flies in the night. I think
  this could mean that he attack his victims at night
  going around almost stalking them and talking them
  back to…..
  The howling storm is the act of sex.
  The women howling from being…..
  The bed of crimson joy.Is mean The actual bed where of the virgin has of blood.
  Good Luck
  Linda K (Hollywood)

• Jimmy's story says:
  

  “We are all worms, but I do believe that I am a glow worm”

  Winston Churchill

• Katherine says:
  

  We find here an allusion to male-female relationship. She is a rose, and has “the bed of crimson joy”. And he is “the invisible worm”, flying “in the night”. It’s interesting that he, “the worm”, destroys the “sick” rose’s life, and his love is “dark secret”. Our English Literature lecturer told us about this poem, and we were really surprised that the poem alluded to defloration…

• Kelsang says:
  

  I’m listening to the sound of a flute
  Everyday at Subway Station.
  It inspires in me both joy and sorrow at the same time
  Today he is not there
  I became weary and disheartened.

• hanane says:
  

  It is AUTUMN and its wind. yes or no?