You came me bearing bright roses,
Red like the wine of your heart;
You twisted them into a garland
To set me aside from the mart.
Red roses to crown me your lover,
And I walked aureoled and apart.
Enslaved and encircled, I bore it,
Proud token of my gift to you.
The petals waned paler, and shriveled,
And dropped; and the thorns started through.
Bitter thorns proclaim me your lover,
A diadem woven with rue.
If the roses symbolize the love that the speaker's partner has for her, what do the thorns symbolize?
Works Cited
Lowell
, Amy. "Crowned." A Dome or any Coloured Olsss. The Macmillan Company, 1915
the ongoing strength of the relationship
overcoming struggles in a relationship
their love fading
the negative parts of the relationship