Challenging the Rose

H.D.’s poem, titled “Sea Rose”, is most effective in challenging the traditional symbol of the rose compared to Adrianna Puente’s poem, “The Rose and the Poppy”. In the first stanza, the speaker describes a singular rose through a negative tone. The tone has been set by a variety of negative diction used throughout the stanza. Line one begins, “Rose, harsh rose,” (H.D.). This is the speaker addressing the rose, but they immediately call it unappealing. They then continue by calling it “marred”, “stint”, “meagre”, and “thin”. All of these words create a negative image of the first rose being described in the poem. Already, this challenges the traditional notions of romance because not a single good thing is mentioned about the rose. It is not praised for its color or lovely smell. Instead, it is being called “sparse” and “marred”.

In Adrianna Puente’s poem, the first stanza describes exactly what a rose is normally symbolic of. The speaker is a personified poppy that wishes it could be as desired as the “ruby red” rose. It knows that it is not, “a symbol of romance / of new moments to be made, / of old memories to be cherished,” (Puente lines 6-8). These are all things roses are known to be symbolic of. Compared to H.D.’s poem, Puente’s speaker seems envious of the “beautiful rouge” rose that is always picked and loved for what it symbolizes.

By comparing H.D. and Adrianna Puente’s poems about roses, we see that one tries to challenge the romantic symbol of the rose, and the other challenges why that symbol can’t be given to another flower. Puente’s poem accepts and acknowledges the traditional symbolism, so she does a less effective job than H.D. to challenge the symbol.

By Tierney Bowden

The ‘Imperfect’ Rose

H.D.’s poem, “Sea Rose” and Arianna Puente’s “The Rose and the Poppy” both have their unique ways of demonstrating the traditional symbol of the rose, by including certain figurative language like imagery and descriptive adjectives, however from comparing and contrasting both. I believe H. D’s poem is more effective in challenging the traditional symbol of the rose than Puente’s.

Both poems mention a ‘rose’ in their titles, “The Rose and The Poppy” and “Sea Rose”, they even begin their poems by referring to a ‘rose’ as well. What is different though is the way the rose is mentioned throughout both poems. Traditionally, a red rose symbolizes love, passion, and romance. H.D. states it as a “Rose, harsh rose, marred and with a stint of petals, meager flower, thin, sparse of leaf,” (H.D., Line 1-4). From the detailed adjectives and speck of imagery given like, “thin”, “marred and a stint of petals”, “harsh rose”, and “sparse of the leaf”, I conveyed that the rose wasn’t the “traditional” rose, specifically because of its physical appearance. It’s not healthy, though no pigmentation or color is disclosed, it can be assured that it’s a wilting rose being vividly described. How does this prove H.D.’s poem is more effective though? Well, H.D. continues by stating, “more precious than a wet rose single on a stem—” (H.D., Line 5 – 7) It seems as though the speaker has some admiration towards this dying rose. Even if it’s wilted it’s still beautiful, more beautiful than one that is well and alive.

This statement is more evident when the speaker quotes, “Can the spice-rose drip such acrid fragrance hardened in a leaf?” (H.D. Lines 14-16). From reading this I got a defensive tone from the speaker. It sounds like he/she is defending the rose as if he/she is stating, “So what if it’s dying? At least its fragrance is stronger than a healthy rose.” What about the fragrance though? Thinking outside of the box, from my knowledge, dry roses are more likely to hold a stronger fragrance than roses that are lively. Rose petals are dried purposely and blended into powder because of their color and fragrance. How is quick input relevant to H. D’s poem though? Well, it further proves that even beyond a rose’s death, it can provide many uses and benefits, it’s quite valuable. This is where the speaker challenges the traditional symbol of the rose. It’s not a soft-petaled, bright, healthy rose, however, it still holds value, value that a lively rose may not be able to give or provide.

   On the other hand, Puente, though she mentions a ‘rose’ as well, does not have it as a main symbol or main vehicle in her poem unlike H.D. This is where her lack of effectiveness lies. She first starts by stating, “I am not a ravishing ruby red, or a semblance of purity white.” (Puente, Line 1-3). She includes imagery and alliteration, mentioning the rose’s colors, “ravishing ruby red” and “semblance of purity white.”. It seems she does start off strongly referring to a traditional rose by providing certain terms connected to it, like a “token of comfort” (Puente, Line 5), “romance” (Puente, Line 6), and “Valentine’s Day” (Puente, Line 19) however, her poem takes a twist when she states, “I am wild in the fields of green and blues. Electric orange- like tangerines in an orchard of trees, my skin’s perfume meshed in the summer breeze.” (Puente, Lines 12-16). From the depictive adjectives, “fields of green and blues”, “Electric orange”, and “Tangerines”, it makes it evident that the speaker is not being expressive about a rose after all, she’s regarding a California poppy flower. This diminishes the effectiveness of challenging the traditional symbol of the rose since it demonstrates that’s not the main context in her poem. Puente does not challenge the symbolism of a traditional rose, she goes along with it, the speaker only states that individually she is not a rose, she is more of a poppy. This is why I believe H.D.’s “Sea Rose” was the most effective in challenging the traditional symbol of the rose than Adrianna Puente’s “The Rose and The Poppy”. His poem stays relevant with just a rose, it deflects on the physical appearance of a traditional one, and his poem completely challenges the conventional, idealistic perspective of a traditional rose.

The Symbol of the Rose

For next Thursday (2/22), students will compare H.D.’s “Sea Rose” and Adrianna Puente’s “The Rose and The Poppy” to answer the following prompt:

Which poem is most effective in challenging the traditional symbol of the rose and why?

Please categorize under “The Symbol of the Rose” and don’t forget to create specific and relevant tags.  And please include your full name!  The blog post is due by next Thursday (2/22) 11:00am.

To learn more about H.D.’s life, click on this link.  Adrianna Puente is a UC Merced student who had her poem published in the campus journal for undergraduate student creative writing, The Vernal Pool.  Here is the link to the journal website: http://thepool.ucmerced.edu/

La Vie N’est Pas Rose

In both the poems assigned today, Sea Rose by H. D. and The Rose & The Poppy by Adrianna Puente, the traditional image/ideas of the rose are completely torn apart and questioned. Th tradition images of a rose include romanticism, lust, passion, love, beauty, desire, atraction; the rose is associated with so many positives by society that many people don’t see the negative stigma that can also be imposed by roses, these two poets describe and show just that, the fact that roses have been made up by society to represent all these good thing, but ae all those representation accurate and do they hold true? The poems Sea Rose and The Rose & The Poppy share similar ideas about the rose and in their own way tear the traditional meaning apart.

In the poem Sea Rose by H. D. we don’t sea any specific rhyming scheme being used and we can clarify this poem as free verse. However we can see that the tenor in this poem is the sea rose and the vehicle is I, as in the person in the poem, metaphors, enjambment, and imagery in order to help get the meaning across of the poet that the wilted, sea affected rose, is just as beautiful and interesting, if not more interesting, than the standard rose. Throughout the poem, such as in the first stanza we can see enjambment as there is no specific set up for the lines, the lines don’t stop in a specific place e instead they are doing their own thing only spectated by the commas but we never get to see a full sentence or the capitalization of a word as we move to next line in a stanza. The whole poem can be characterized by a metaphor as it compares the sea rose to a person, setting apart its imperfection such as “harsh rose, marred and with stint of petals, meagre flower, thin, sparse of leaf” then it goes on to say “Stunted, with small leaf, you are flung on the sand.” The poem uses this allude and compare the sea rose to a person who has flaws and isn’t necessarily up to the standards of society. The imagery in the poem also helps emphasize the message then poet, with the first stanza describing the sea rose as “Rose, harsh rose, marred and with stint of petals, meagre flower, thin, sparse of leaf” and the last stanza questioning if the spice rose(the tradition ‘beautiful’ rose) “Can the spice-rose drip such acrid fragrance hardened in a leaf?” This imagery of the two roses helps us better understand teh difference between the two roses.

In the poem The Rose & The Poppy by Adrianna similarly explaimns the rose in comparison to the person. She starts the poem by saying ” I am not a ravishing ruby red, or a semblance of purity white” in this case is is stating that she is not a rose but instead she uses a poppy to compare to the rose and explain that in society the poppy and the rose do not have the sam implications, yet in reality they are both flowers and teh only true difference is the meaning that they have been given by society. She states “Not the flower you give to a lover, or a token of comfort you give to a friend in the hospital. Nor am I a symbol of romance” the traditional symbols and imagery that are given to a rose are not given to a poppy. She later in the poem goes on to reflect on teh fact that although she is not a rose she is unique and special, “Most times I am forgotten.Rarely chosen foreager hands on Valentine’s day-but I am my own.” She ends the poem by remind the reader “we each wilt-between dried petals-scenting rooms with our fragrance. Rotting into umber.” This parrelles people, although someone might not fit the standards athat are deemed as desirable in a society they are still a person unique and wonderful, with qualities that make them special, just like the poppy is in compassion to the rose. Both of these poem compass the idea that society ideals and standards do not define a thing, the thing defines itself.

Guadalupe Lemus

All Goes in the Way of the Rose

_{a wilted rose}

The word traditional is defined as ‘having existed for generations; habitually done, used, or produced.’  So it makes sense that traditions themselves are quality checks established by different cultures to diagnose special significance or symbolic meanings to objects, animals, or concepts.  This helps the people understand them better and adds richness to art forms that decide to use it.  These are present for everything, from complicated topics like oppression and betrayal to everyday objects like leaves and poppyseeds.  In Western culture, especially in an American context, there are specific connotations and symbols associated with the rose.  Roses are probably one of the most prevalent and widely recognized symbols of beautiful love in Western culture.  In almost all media, be it poetry, literature, artwork, or film, the rose is used as a tool to signify some form of passion or affection present, often romantic, yet somewhat artificial.  Afterall, most we see are perfect, trim tuck roses with no thorns, held in the hands of some begotten lover.  Depending on the color or stage of the flower, that may be youthful, pure love just blooming or a deep, dark passion that grips the young couple.  ‘Well, that’s all good and dandy,’ you may be thinking, ‘but how did this tradition come about, anyways’?  It all started way back in Ancient Greek and Roman times.  The rose was heavily associated with Aphrodite/Venus, the goddess of sexual love and beauty. Roses were the main decorations of her altars and wedding ceremonies.  Then the Christians used this symbol, and associated it with their Virgin Mary to symbolize fertility and beautiful love and it’s stuck ever since.   ‘Cool. Why does all this matter?’ Good question.  The answer is simple: to challenge the rules/traditions of the rose, one must first know what they are.  Only then can an effective counter be achieved.  

When comparing H.D. ‘s poem Sea Rose and Adriana Puente’s The Rose and the Poppy, one clearly sees that the former triumphs over the latter in achieving this goal.  Not only is H.D.’s longer and capable of providing a more honest breakdown, but he truly attacks the traditional notions of a rose.  His argument is that the traditional view of the rose is unrealistic and unaffected by the world.  Consider line 1-2: “rose, harsh rose, marred and with a stint of petals”.  Immediately, H.D. throws out the connotative beauty we have associated with the rose.  No, his rose is harsh, scarred and with little petals.  This paints the rose as very unattractive, almost cruel, it is not a rose that one gives to show love.  But is that so true?  Sure, the rose is not this idealized “wet rose” of dew and sugary sunsets, but is that so wrong?  Afterall, this is a rose that has been through hardships, left scarred like a body dragged through years of turmoil and pain. Yet, it still persists.  It is “caught in the drift”, (line 8) not tied to a single stem, moving wherever the wind takes it.  It experiences life as a person would and does not hold any false pretense of perfection or the idea that love is this easy beautiful, thing.  He exemplifies this notion with lines 14-16: “Can the spice-rose drip such acrid fragrance hardened in a leaf?”  Could a traditional rose hold such experiences? Can any of us see ourselves and our lives in such a rose, blemish-less and clean?  Maybe this rose does not symbolize our commoditized version of love, but something deeper, something more raw.  It’s effective because it is true.

Jojo C. Chukwueloka

The Unorthodox Rose

In the two poems “Sea Rose” by H.D. and “The Rose and The Poppy” by Adrianna Puente, they both have a different meaning when it comes to representing what a traditional rose actually is. To start off with “The Rose and The Poppy”, this poem explains a different type of flower. They start off the poem by saying “I am/ not a ravishing ruby red/ or a semblance of purity white.”. There are three main different types of roses, red roses, white roses, and pink roses. In the poem it starts off with explaining how this type of flower is none of them. Then the author goes on to say “I am/ wild in field of green and blues”, describing a different type of flower. Based on the title I am guessing it is a Poppy. Lastly, these lines stood out to me the most “Rarely chosen for/ eager hands on  Valentine’s day”, which is sad because roses are the most popular flower on Valentine’s day, and no one usually ever gets Poppies. However, this poem didn’t challenge what the traditional rose represents, instead it gave a new look into a different underrepresented flower.

The poem “Sea Rose” is more effective in challenging what the traditional rose represents, as the poem gives a whole new meaning to what a rose could be. In the first stanza, it starts off by saying “Rose, harsh rose,/ marred and with stint of petals,/ meagre flower, thin,/sparse of leaf,”, this is giving a clear picture of an ugly dead rose. Then it goes on to say in the last stanza “Can the spice-rose/ drip such acrid fragrance/ hardened in a leaf?”, usually roses are known to smell good but in this poems it describes an acrid fragrance. Acrid is a strong or unpleasant smell, which is not like the typical rose smell. This poem is giving a clear description of the opposite of what the traditional rose is known for. This poem almost describes a plant in the sea, which is why it is titled “Sea Rose”. 

Joseph Jordan

A Rose that Doesn’t Belong

When a rose is mentioned, one can imagine the copious symbols that accompany it. For many years, the delicate flower has represented any item or sensation with the connotation of love, lust, and bliss. When comparing H.D.’s “Sea Rose” and Adrianna Puente’s “The Rose and The Poppy,” the reader is able to see the variance between the two poems and their symbol for the elegant flower. However, between these two poems, H.D.’s “Sea Rose” is most effective by using tactile and visual imagery to represent disparity.

In the beginning lines of the first stanza, H.D. introduces the reader to an ostensibly unpleasant rose: “Rose, harsh rose,” (line 1). A single rose, or even a bouquet of roses, is considered a romantic gesture between lovers as roses are beautiful and easy on the eyes; however, H.D. introduces the rose as a “harsh” one rather than the common adjective of “gentle.” From the very initial line, the speaker is able to set the tone for the upcoming lines that proceed. In lines 2-4, the speaker states, “marred and with stint of petals,/ meagre flower, thin,/ sparse of leaf,” (lines 2-4). There is a sense of frailty and infirmity that adheres to this rose the speaker is focusing on. Typically a rose is shown with a lush red and vivid green stem, which is taut, but this rose in particular is weak. The words “marred,” “stint,” “meagre,” “thin,” and “sparse” accumulate into one visual image: a rose that contains little to no petals and a feeble stem, which hampers its visual appeal and growth. One can also say that a rose symbolizes the feminine side within all beings, and that this particular individual has yet to come to terms with their femininity. In the last stanza, the speaker further emphasizes the decrepit rose, “Can the spice-rose/ drip such acrid fragrance/ hardened in a leaf?” (lines 14-16). An “acrid” fragrance is a pungent smell that is associated with unappealing themes. A common rose reminds individuals of a rather pleasant odor, but the reader describes this rose differently. This rose has not grown in a field of gorgeous scenery, which has affected the flourishing of this flower. H.D.’s poem resembles many things, all of which fail to comply with the cliched symbols of a rose. 

Emily Pu

The Toy and The Woman

I am 

Not meant to be played with, 

Or taken for granted. 

Not a gift you give to a child, 

Or seen as an object. 

Nor am I a symbol of joy-

Made for your entertainment,

So when you are finished 

You throw me away, beaten and forgotten;

I am

Wild, unique, and unusual 

Electric like the powerlines in the sky,

Radiating energy to the cities nearby.

My energy leaving behind 

A shock of electricity, 

Something you never felt inside. 

Now I come to realize 

Boys will be boys; they do as they please 

But I will not be a toy in his eyes. 

If you couldn’t tell I did my parody on Adrianna Puente’s poem The Rose and the Poppy, Puente focus on the traditional meaning of a rose and how bland it really is explaining to the reader that she is more than just a regular rose. She is unconventional and is set apart from the rest, so I decided to take the poem into a different route and relate to women who have been used by somebody because the person was bored or wanted to be entertained. Now a days I feel like people don’t take other’s feelings to consideration and use people for their own personal gain, I want to empower women and prove to them that they are worth more than a toy. I used Puente’s structure to write my poem for example, I used “I am” to emphasize what I am not and what I am similar to what she does. I also use imagery in lines 12-15 to showcase the unique side of myself and other women while Puentes paints a picture of poppies in a field, I describe powerlines in the sky. 

I also pay homage to her poem by using the beginning phrases of each line such as “Not,” “Nor am I a symbol,” “wild,” and “electric.” I wanted to stay true to her format, so I made sure to repeat the way she presents her poem in mine. Lines 10-19 is where I drifted from her style and decided to use end rhyme, lines 12-19 I use words like sky, nearby, behind, inside, please and eyes to create my own rhythm. Puente’s poem does not rhyme often but when she does the ending of her lines rhyme such as lines 14 and 16, “like tangerines in an orchard of trees/ in the summer breeze.” I also use internal rhymes for example in line 12 I use like and sky creating a masculine rhyme. The ending to each line rhymes ending in stressed syllables which is something Puente does not do at all in her poem. Here is where I got creative and wanted to emphasize how my energy is different, my energy lingers but it is positive unlike the people who play with other’s emotions. I loved the idea Puente proved in her poem so I wanted to pay homage to being different and try to relate not just to women but anyone who has been played before to hopefully empower people proving that they are much more than a toy on the rack but an electrifying power-line. 

Natalie Rodriguez

You Have Seen My Beauty…Now Let Me Show You My Scars

Diane Tarabay-Rodriguez 

Have you received a rose for Valentine’s Day, or on a day that, for some reason, your lover was feeling a little romantic? You looked into their eyes and you felt an unexplainable feeling right between your chest, right? You completely ignored the rose at first. Do you know why? I do. That rose was not just a rose, it meant so much more. That love and romance that you thought had faded over time all of a sudden came back with the presence of such a beautiful rose.

Roses have become known to symbolize love, beauty, passion and romance. There are two poems that talk about a rose. H.D.’s “Sea Rose” and Punente’s “The Rose and the Poppy” both had a very creative way of talking about a rose in their poems. 

In the poem, The Rose and The Poppy, Puente’s talks about the traditional symbol of a rose and completely opposes it and turns against it. For example, she states, “Not a ravishing ruby red” (Line 2) and “Nor am I a symbol of romance” (Line 5). She later writes, “I am wild in fields of green and blues” (Lines 11 and 12) and “like tangerines in an orchard of trees” (Line 14). Her poem is undeniably brilliant, but she does NOT challenge the traditional symbol of the rose. She states the typical symbol of a rose and then mentions that she is NOT like a rose. 

On the other hand, in the poem, Sea Rose, H.D. effectively challenges the traditional symbol of the rose by talking about a rose that is ” marred and with stint of petals” (line 2). This shows a different type of rose, separate from the typical “beautiful” one. This specific rose is in no particular way a symbol of romance. In this case, the rose is meant to represent someone who has struggled. Even though the rose has seen some bad days, it is “more precious than a wet rose” (Line 5 and 6). Despite all the things this rose is going through, it’s still getting by. The struggles it has gone through is what makes it even more beautiful.

So,You Thought We Were Talking About Real Roses?

By: Sofia Garcia

Symbols are a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract. Common objects such as a rose can traditionally signify love, or can it? Poets enjoy playing around like that. They can take a symbol so common and often simple, but make so complex. “Sea Rose” by H.D. and “The Rose and The Poppy” by Adrianna Puente both mention roses in their tittles and their poems. In neither poem does the rose symbolize love.

Adrianna Puente’s poem directly states that this poem’s rose has nothing to do with love, romance, etc. By saying, “Nor am I a symbol of romance” speaker is letting the audience know “don’t even think about depicting this as a love poem”. The rose Puente talks about in her poem is the exact opposite of what it traditionally symbolizes. The rose does not exist it is only a poppy putting itself down by comparing itself to a rose in every other stanza. The poppy is personified, and we can see this in the first and second stanzas which start with “I am” in which the poppy is talking and comparing itself to a wilted rose. We can infer the poppy is comparing itself with a wilted rose because in line 22 the poppy says, “we each wilt between dried petals”. “We” is referring to both the poppy’s petals and the roses petals.

In “Sea Rose” by H.D. the rose she talks about in her poem is not a symbol of love. The speaker in the poem is talking about an actual rose. Someone or something is being compared to a rose. H.D. is using the beauty of the rose in lines five and six, “more precious/ than a wet rose.” The poet uses lines H.D. is not using the rose as a what it is traditionally represent, but she is going with its physical aspects of the rose instead.

Adrianna Puente’s poem is more effective in challenging the traditional symbol of the rose.