Love is like the wild rose-briar,
Friendship is like the holly-tree—
The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms
But which will bloom most constantly?
The wild rose-briar is sweet in spring,
Its summer blossoms scent the air;
yet wait till winter comes again
And who will call the wild-briar fair?
What types of symbols are the wild rose-briar and the holly-tree in this poem?
conventional
supporting
personal
summarizing
The wild rose-briar and the holly-tree are used as conventional symbols in this poem.
The symbols of the wild rose-briar and the holly-tree in this poem are conventional symbols.
In order to determine the types of symbols that the wild rose-briar and the holly-tree represent in this poem, we need to analyze their characteristics and their role in the overall meaning of the poem.
In the first stanza, the poet compares love to the wild rose-briar and friendship to the holly-tree. The wild rose-briar is described as sweet in spring, its blossoms scent the air in summer. However, the poet raises a question about the wild rose-briar's endurance during winter. On the other hand, the holly-tree is described as dark when the rose-briar blooms, implying that friendship remains constant and reliable even in difficult times.
Considering this analysis, we can determine that the wild rose-briar and the holly-tree are utilized as conventional symbols in this poem. Conventional symbols are widely recognized and have established meanings within a specific cultural context. In this case, the wild rose-briar and the holly-tree symbolize the concepts of love and friendship, respectively, which are universal and commonly understood symbols.
To reach this conclusion, it is important to identify the characteristics of the wild rose-briar and the holly-tree as described in the poem, and then connect these characteristics to the broader ideas they represent.