A White Rose

By John Boyle O'Reilly

1844-1890

THE red rose whispers of passion,
         And the white rose breathes of love;
O the red rose is a falcon,
         And the white rose is a dove.

But I send you a cream-white rosebud
         With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
         Has a kiss of desire on the lips.

 

Analysis | Critique | Overview

This is one of my favorite love poems of classical literature... so full of beautiful metaphors.. I drooled while reading this the first time.. (ok, not really) but it was that awesome... the red rose representing passion and lust... the white rose representing a softer, a more truthful love... I'm not sure about the last few lines, though...

"For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips"

I'm not quite getting this part... does LOVE has a kiss of desire on the lips or does the white rose represent a love that GIVES a kiss of desire on the lips? Whatever the case, I think the writer has done an excellent job within a few, short lines