The Sick Rose

Hand-coloured print, issued c.1826. A copy held by the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge[1]

"The Sick Rose" is a poem by William Blake, originally published in Songs of Innocence and of Experience as the 39th plate; the incipit of the poem is O Rose thou art sick. Blake composed the poem sometime after 1789, and presented it with an illuminated border and illustration, typical of his self-publications.[1] Since the 20th century, the poem has been the subject of scrutiny by scholars for its oblique and enigmatic meaning, and bizarre, suggestive imagery.[2]

  1. ^ a b Blake, William. Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy AA, Object 39 1826 (The Fitzwilliam Museum) published by The William Blake Archive. Ed. Morris Eaves, Robert N. Essick, and Joseph Viscomi. Accessed: 16 October 2009
  2. ^ Cervo, Nathan (July 1990). "Blake's the Sick Rose". The Explicator. 48 (4): 253–254. doi:10.1080/00144940.1990.9934016.