Allusions To The Past, A Message For The Present: To The Rose Upon The Rood Of Time Analysis

The speaker invites the Rose to be near him in “To the Rose upon the Rood of Time” while he tells old Irish stories like Cuchulain fighting the sea, the Druid, Fergus and the Rose’s own sorrow. He invites again the Rose to be near him, but asks it not to lose sight of what is really happening. In his final line, he addresses Rose once more and sings of past times. William Butler Yeats argues that beauty should not be deluded. His message is backward-looking in some references and allusions but also has a timeless, yet temperate optimism.

Yeats portrays ancient Ireland’s beauty through the symbol Rose. “Red Rose,” Yeats’s first line of the poem, he exclaims, “Red Rose,” (Yeats 1) Roses are traditional symbols of love, beauty and romance. Yeats associates the Rose with Ireland’s nationalistic past to reflect the same beauty that it represents. Yeats takes pride in Ireland’s past through the Roses’ proud and red colors. Yeats calls it “sad”, but Yeats also mentions the duality of the rose’s beauty. While the flower is eternal in its symbol meaning, and it remains constant and unwavering throughout its life, it also hint at its fleeting beauty due to its short lifespan. The rose is therefore both permanent and ineffable. Yeats’ view is that Irish culture transcends time, and its beauty can be lost when it ends. Yeats is a proud Irishman, yet he also grieves the passing of Ireland’s history, and speaks about the sadness that ancient Ireland has come to an end. He is pessimistic about the present and shows disdain for Ireland’s state at the moment. He also mentions legends of Cuchulain, Fergus and the Druid as mythological heroes. The speaker wants to bring back Ireland’s culture and history through the mythological characters. Yeats makes clear the association between ancient Ireland’s beauty and the symbol that bears the Rose. The connection shows the strength and power of Cuchulain, Fergus and Yeats in Ireland. However, it also recalls their tragic endings which mirror Ireland’s. Cuchulain accidentally kills the son he loves and is devastated to find out. Fergus has made a deal with his sister’s widow allowing her son to govern for one-year in exchange for her hand as a bride, but finds himself betrayed by her and eventually exiled. The allusions serve to remind us of both the greatness and demise of these people.

The Rose is surrounded by euphony through the use of phrases. The first line contains almost all soft sounds, especially the repeated euphonic consonants r. To soften the sound, an r immediately follows a p. This introduces the Rose’s harmonious sounds. Yeats describes stars “dancing silver-sandalled on he sea” (6 ). The euphonious words of this phrase are not only beautiful, but also the repetition of the s sound contributes to the poem’s pleasant sound. The Rose is also seen “wandering on the way” (12) in the final stanza. The alliteration of “wandering” in “way” creates euphony by both the consonant and vowel sounds. It also conveys Yeats’ love for Ireland’s history. Euphony is also created by the structure of this poem, which is written in heroic verses with precise rhymes. The poem’s rhythmic and rhyme structure provides a pleasing regularity throughout. Yeats creates a nostalgic and pleasing effect through euphony in relation to Ireland’s past.

Yeats creates an intimacy with Roses by personifying the symbol. He constantly asks Rose to approach him (12). Yeats emphasizes the beauty of the rose by acquainting it with human qualities. By doing so, Yeats brings the Rose and its speaker closer together to demonstrate the Rose’s beauty. Personification is Yeats’ nationalistic vision of Ireland’s past. Yeats portrays a proud and melancholy view of the past through the motif “time”. Yeats says that the Rose is eternal and will continue to be with him “all my lives” (1, 11-12). This shows the Rose’s long-lasting significance. It will continue to be an eternal symbol of Yeats’ life, and it will continue to mean the same for him until his last breath. This reflects Yeats’ love for Ireland and its symbolism of beauty. Yeats’ optimistic tone when he speaks of his ability to find such a type of “eternal sweetness” is a sign of his optimism about the future of Ireland. The colon refers to Cuchulain and Fergus (2). He continues to describe Ireland’s “ancient methods.” Yeats uses “ancient methods” to indicate Ireland’s mythological heroes tradition. Yeats is proud of this modification, but also depressed, because he can’t recreate Ireland’s past.

The speaker wants to be near the Rose by repeating “Come here”. It is repeated twice by him in the first stanza. This reinforces his earlier sentiment and affirms his desire to be near the Rose. The second stanza’s opening is where he repeats the phrase three consecutive times. This contrasts to the repetitions of “come closer” that are isolated. This line is a sign of a major shift in the poem. He repeats it three times in succession, creating a buildup in his passion for the Rose until the dash “Ah” counters his original request. That passion then quickly dissipates. The speaker realises that he cannot tolerate such close proximity to Rose and that he cannot continue to fantasize about the future. This line shows the change in the entire poem, from the previous stanza which explored the beauty and fragility of the past to this one that examines human mortality. Yeats’s joy shifts to a more serious attitude as he recognizes that the Rose is too far from him.

The speaker is forced to keep a distance from Rose. This makes the theme of time a symbol of death, reminding us of the end. Yeats gives details about the “weakworm”, and “field mouse,” which are common, mortal creatures. The “heavy mortal wishes that toil & pass” directly addresses the dark, unfulfilled mortality of human existence (16-18). They all represent the characteristics of mortal existence. They provide no indications of the mortal world, contrary to the triplet “ancient ways”, which is the subject of the first stanza. This disorienting effect confronts the speaker, exposing him to the reality that keeps him from reaching the past.

The speaker wants to express the ultimate inability of returning to the past through the repetition of the poem’s last lines. The speaker requests that the Rose “come near” (22). The speaker asks the Rose to “come near” (22). This is despite the fact that the possibility of going back to the past has been made impossible. The invitation to approach emphasizes the importance of looking at the eternal idea of beauty in what is temporarily beautiful. These last lines celebrate the past but not because of its depressing appearance, but because they recognize the need to find beauty within the present. “Sad Rose” is now a symbol of the constant conflict between the desire for the Rose and the need that it be given up. The discussion on mortality makes “all my years” conjure up the end of humanity. However, the first line depicts a more positive outlook on human life and the possibility of death. The shift in punctuation furthers this shift. The first line ends on an exclamation mark, while the final line ends on a period. This displays the contrast between joy of the past and regret at the present.

The speaker’s inability or inability to reach his goal through the last line of the poetry, which is identical to the first but without punctuation, shows his inability. The repetition still conveys the same love and devotion to the Rose as the original. Accepting reality’s limitations, the speaker sees the Rose’s eternal beauty. William Butler Yeats, in “To the Rose upon the Rood of Time,” argues the importance of looking beyond the present to find beauty. He also argues against the temptation to delude oneself. Yeats warns against delusion and urges us to see the beauty in all things, regardless of what is present.